TRANSPORT

A12/A127

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are being taken to improve the condition of the  (a) A12 and  (b) A127.

Stephen Ladyman: The A12 and A127 in London now form part of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN). Therefore, any improvement schemes for those stretches of road are a matter for the Mayor and Transport for London. Further information concerning this road may be obtained from:
	Director of Street Management
	Transport for London
	Windsor House
	42-50 Victoria Street
	London SW1H 0TL

A12/A127

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost has been of improvements to the  (a) A12 and  (b) A127 since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: Prior to 22 May 2000 the Highways Agency (HA) was responsible for the A12 and A127 in London but to obtain the information requested would entail disproportionate cost.
	Since 22 May 2000 the A12 and A127 in London now form part of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN). Therefore, any details of the costs of improvements would be held by the Mayor and Transport for London. Further information concerning this road may be obtained from:
	Director of Street Management
	Transport for London
	Windsor House
	42-50 Victoria Street
	London SW1H 0TL

A1307

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatalities have occurred on the A1307 in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of fatalities resulting from personal injury road accidents reported to the police on the A1307 in each of the last 10 years is given in table.
	
		
			  Fatalities on the A1307: 1996-2005 
			  Year of accident  Fatalities 
			 1996 4 
			 1997 1 
			 1998 2 
			 1999 5 
			 2000 1 
			 2001 1 
			 2002 4 
			 2003 3 
			 2004 1 
			 2005 2

Airports: Security

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the recommendations of the Boys-Smith review of airport policing will be implemented.

Gillian Merron: In his written statement of 20 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 56-57WS, the Secretary of State welcomed the broad thrust of the review and said that we would be working closely with key stakeholders to consider the recommendations in detail. The Secretary of State intends to make a further statement in due course.

Aviation

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the external costs of UK aviation arising from  (a) greenhouse gas emissions,  (b) noise and  (c) local air pollution; and what plans he has to internalise these costs.

Gillian Merron: This data was published in 'Aviation and the Environment: Using Economic Instruments (2003)'. This document can be found at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_aviation/documents/downloadable/dft_aviation_507934.pdf
	We will ensure that, over time, aviation pays the external costs its activities impose on society.

Aviation

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when and how he plans to assess the potential reductions in carbon dioxide aviation emissions that may be realisable from an emissions trading scheme.

Gillian Merron: The environmental outcome of a trading scheme will depend upon the cap set for the scheme as a whole. Detailed design issues are subject to negotiation with EU partners and DfT will continue to argue for a well-designed, robust trading scheme.
	The CE Delft report "Giving Wings to Emissions Trading" estimated that including aviation within the EU Emissions Trading Scheme could result in reductions of around 20-26mt of CO2 between 2008-12.
	We expect the European Commission proposal will be accompanied by an impact assessment with further details.

Aviation

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of people who took  (a) no,  (b) one,  (c) two,  (d) three,  (e) four and  (f) five or more flights to (i) UK, (ii) European and (iii) worldwide destinations in each of the years from 1990 to 2005, broken down by (A) income, (B) class, (C) sex and (D) education level achieved.

Gillian Merron: Tables which show the number of flights in percentage terms taken by adults in Great Britain over the last three years, based on the British Social Attitudes Survey have been placed in the Libraries of the Houses.

Cancelled Transport Projects

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which transport projects have been announced by the Government and subsequently cancelled since 1997.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by my predecessor as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport on 14 March 2006,  Official Report, column 2065W, and by the Minister for Transport on 31 October 2006,  Official Report, column 305W.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the additional carbon dioxide generated by road schemes in the targeted programme of improvements in the opening year of the programme.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 November 2006,  Official Report, column 517W.

Concessionary Travel

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the extent to which bus companies are increasing their fares as a result of the concessionary fares scheme to increase their revenue; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Outside London it is for the bus operators to set fares; they will take a number of factors into account when doing so, including the impacts of fare increases on the majority of bus passengers who pay a commercial fare.

Consultants

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which  (a) private finance initiative,  (b) public-private partnership and  (c) other external consultants were used by (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in 2005-06; and what the (A) nature and (B) cost of the work done by each consultant was in each case.

Gillian Merron: Lists showing the nature and costs of the work of  (a) private finance initiative,  (b) public-private partnership and  (c) other external consultants engaged by the central Department and each of its agencies in 2005-06 have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	It replaces the list provided with the answer to a similar question about the nature and cost of consultancy 4 September 2006,  Official Report, column 2008W. Since the earlier list was compiled a more accurate breakdown of spend by two suppliers; one used by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and the other by the central Department has been obtained.

Cycle Road Signs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department has issued on the requirement for local highways authorities to erect cycle road signs on highways.

Gillian Merron: There is no requirement to erect cycle road signs. It is for the local highway authority to decide what is needed. Guidance is given in Local Transport Note 2/87 "Signs for Cycle Facilities", and in a number of other Local Transport Notes and Transport Advisory Leaflets.

Departmental Secondments

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which staff in his Department are seconded from organisations with charitable status; and which have  (a) costs and  (b) salaries met (i) in part and (ii) in whole (A) from public funds and (B) by the charity from which they are seconded.

Gillian Merron: One person is currently on secondment to the Department from the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB). The Department meets the full costs of the secondee's salary (including national insurance and pension contributions). Where appropriate, the Department also reimburses the secondee for travelling and subsistence costs incurred in carrying out the Department's business, in accordance with the departmental scales for the grade.

Drink/Drug Driving

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2006,  Official Report, column 267W, on drink/drug driving, which drugs were involved in each case.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is not available.

Drink/Drug Driving

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2006,  Official Report, column 267W, on drink/drug driving, what means were used to identify the niche audience for the campaign.

Stephen Ladyman: The target audiences for both our drink and drug driving campaigns are informed by road casualty figures and research into driver awareness and attitudes.
	For example our major target audience for the drink driving campaign is young men, who are over-represented in casualty figures. Road Casualties Great Britain 2005 showed that male drivers under 30 currently had the highest incidence of failing a breath test after being involved in a personal injury road crash. Independent research for the drug driving campaign indicated that drug drivers were also more likely to be young men.

Foreign Hauliers

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of new powers given to police in dealing with owners of foreign vehicles committing traffic offences in the UK.

Stephen Ladyman: None. Under the Road Safety Act 2006 which was given Royal Assent on 8 November the police will have new powers to require the payment of a deposit by a person they believe to have committed an offence in relation to a motor vehicle who does not provide a satisfactory address in the United Kingdom. The Act also makes provision for the police to prohibit the driving of a vehicle in respect of which a deposit was required and not paid, and in specified circumstances, to immobilise that vehicle.

Foreign Hauliers

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals  (a) to charge foreign hauliers for the use of UK roads an amount equivalent to the domestic vehicle duties paid by UK hauliers and  (b) to pre-register foreign hauliers entering the UK.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	We are taking forward plans for distance-based lorry charging as part of our wider work on national road pricing. Road pricing has the potential to reflect the wider costs that lorries impose in the UK, especially congestion costs.
	The industry through their representatives at the Road Haulage Industry Task Group proposed the pre-registration of foreign hauliers entering the UK. The Government are currently considering the industry's proposals.

Fuel Economy

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has made to the European Union on adopting actual road test conditions to determine the official fuel economy figures of new motor vehicles.

Stephen Ladyman: None. The purpose of official fuel economy figures is to provide an objective comparison between different models of car. In order to do this, tests must be conducted in a manner which is accurate and repeatable, using a standardised test cycle run in a laboratory. This eliminates variations caused by road type, traffic and weather conditions, driving style etc.
	The introductions in the Vehicle Certification Agency's fuel consumption booklet and the corresponding website state clearly that the official figures might not be achieved under 'real life' driving conditions. However they serve as a means of comparing models.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish his Department's gender equality scheme.

Gillian Merron: In line with the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Public Authorities)(Statutory Duties) Order 2006 (No. 2930), laid on 10 November 2006, we expect to publish the Department's gender equality scheme by 30 April 2007.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that private organisations contracted to work  (a) in his Department and  (b) for non-departmental public bodies and Executive agencies for which his Department is responsible are aware of their duties under gender equality legislation when exercising public functions on behalf of public bodies.

Gillian Merron: The discrimination provisions in the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 apply to both the public and private sectors. Gender equality considerations can be built into contracts between public authorities and their private sector contractors where they are relevant to the function or service being carried out.
	From 6 April 2007, private sector organisations, when carrying out functions of a public nature on behalf of public authorities, will be required to comply with the general gender equality duty which is to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and harassment and promote equality of opportunity between women and men.
	To assist us, our non-departmental public bodies and Executive agencies in ensuring that private sector contractors providing goods, works or services on our behalf, are aware of their obligations under the general gender equality duty we will refer to the Equal Opportunities Commission's (EOC) code of practice of the gender equality duty and any further EOC guidance when available.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to carry out gender impact assessments of his Department's major policy developments and new legislation.

Gillian Merron: From April 2007, the Department will carry out gender impact assessments of major policy developments and new legislation in line with the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Public Authorities)(Statutory Duties) Order 2006 (No. 2930). We shall refer to Equal Opportunities Commission's (EOC) code of practice on the gender equality duty and their specific guidance when available.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that  (a) his Department and  (b) the non-departmental public bodies and Executive agencies for which he is responsible are taking steps to meet the requirements of the forthcoming duty on public bodies (i) to end unlawful discrimination and harassment and (ii) to promote equality between women and men.

Gillian Merron: In order to ensure better performance on the general gender equality duty which will require public authorities to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and harassment and promote equality of opportunity between women and men, the Department will be taking the steps outlined in the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Public Authorities)(Statutory Duties) Order 2006 (No. 2930) which should come into force on 6 April 2007.

Halliburton

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many private finance initiative and public-private partnership contracts with his Department and its agencies were won by Halliburton or its subsidiaries since 1997; what the terms were of each contract; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Highways Agency awarded the following PFI contracts to the Road Management Services consortium consisting of AMEC, Alfred McAlpine, Dragados and Halliburton.
	
		
			  Name of contract  Date of award  Terms of contract 
			 A1 Darrington to Dishforth 2003 HA Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) 
			 A13 Thames Gateway 2000(1) HA Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) 
			 (1) The Highways Agency awarded the A13 contract on 2 April 2000, the contract was subsequently novated to Transport for London on 3 July 2000. 
		
	
	A DBFO briefing pack is available from the Highways Agency website (http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/2748.aspx).

Helicopters: Buckinghamshire

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many helicopter flights took place over Buckinghamshire in each year since 2001.

Gillian Merron: This information is not held by the Department for Transport. If the hon. Member writes to the chief executive of National Air Traffic Services Ltd. they will provide the information requested.
	Their address is:
	400 Parkway
	Whiteley
	Fareham
	Hants
	PO15 7FL.

Highways Agency

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the  (a) original estimated cost and  (b) most recent cost estimate is of (i) each Highways Agency scheme in the Targeted Programme of Improvements and (ii) each local authority scheme approved through the local transport plans.

Stephen Ladyman: The information is as follows.
	For (i) Highways Agency schemes in the Targeted Programme of Improvements, I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 6 November 2006,  Official Report, column 685W, to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) which referred to an answer given on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 746W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Brent, South (Ms Butler).
	The Secretary of State has asked Mike Nicholas, Chairman of the Nicholas Group, to review the Highways Agency approach to cost estimating and project management, and to make recommendations, including on how the agency should best assess, monitor and report on risks to its cost estimates. He will report shortly.
	For (ii) local authority schemes, I have placed a table in the Library of the House. The table provides the latest approved departmental contribution, which isthe most reliable indication of the final cost to the Department.

Lighting: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the likely effects on road safety of the decision of Essex county council to switch off the majority of street lights during the hours of midnight to 5 am.

Stephen Ladyman: No. As the local highway authority, Essex county council are responsible for considering the implications that any such decision may have on road safety.

MidMan Multi-modal Study

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what public transport improvements recommended in the MidMan multi-modal study of 2002 have been  (a) completed,  (b) started,  (c) approved for a start and  (d) not actioned; and what the status is of those not actioned.

Stephen Ladyman: Tables of progress against the recommendations have been placed in the Libraries of the House. This list is not exhaustive as central Government approval (or funding) would not necessarily be needed to deliver all projects that contribute to meeting the recommendations in the study.

National Pensioners' Bus Passes

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive about reciprocal arrangements for cross-border use of national pensioners' bus passes; and what the outcome has been.

Gillian Merron: The Department has been discussing the desirability and practicality of reciprocal arrangements with the devolved Administrations. The Concessionary Bus Travel Bill introduced 27 November includes a power to allow, via regulations in the future, for mutual recognition of concessionary bus passes across the UK. Various issues and practicalities, such as interoperability of passes will need to be considered and consulted upon before mutual recognition is possible.

Parking Offenders (Database)

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for a national computer database of persistent parking offenders; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Secretary of State consulted on revising civil enforcement for parking in July this year. The consultation covered, among other things, whether it would be acceptable for the Association of London Government (now called London Councils) to expand their persistent evader database for use across England and, if not, what other options might be suitable. The consultation closed on 29 September 2006 and the Department will publish a summary of the responses when the regulations are laid in Parliament early next year.

Railways

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which Ministers have met One Railway executives in the last two years.

Tom Harris: Ministers meet with representatives from the train operating companies from time to time where a wide range of issues are discussed.

Railways

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how frequently rail franchises are reviewed; and under what circumstances franchise conditions can be altered.

Tom Harris: The performance of all rail franchises is continually monitored. Changes to a franchise specification and committed outputs are only made when there are major changes to the market demand for the services of the franchise or other external factors require a change. Examples are the opening of a new station or a change to the rail network. Such changes are negotiated with the franchisee through the provisions contained in the franchise agreement.

Railways

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many trains of each train company were cancelled in the last 12 months; how many of those trains were cancelled  (a) before reaching their final destination and  (b) before departure; and what the reason was for each cancellation.

Tom Harris: Train running data for the Rail Network as a whole is collected and processed by Network Rail. The Department holds information on total passenger train cancellations broken down by franchise but not by the reason for each cancellation.
	The following table shows the total cancellations suffered by each franchised train operator for the year to 19 August 2006, the most recent available figures. These figures include trains that were cancelled both before departure and before reaching their final destination. The Department does not hold information on the breakdown between trains that are cancelled and those that are part-cancelled.
	
		
			  Cancellation data for the year running to 19 August 2006 
			  Franchise operator  Total cancellations  Trains planned to run 
			 TPE 746 83,325 
			 One 8,171 575,637 
			 Northern 6,369 628,554 
			 FCC 4,994 351,966 
			 GNER 568 40,612 
			 Merseyrail 2,102 205,199 
			 VWC 638 70,246 
			 Central 7,955 102,873 
			 VXC 650 61,532 
			 Arriva 2,710 281,630 
			 Chiltern 1,016 102,873 
			 Silverlink 3,092 217,451 
			 c2c 1,422 109,699 
			 southeastern 5,502 570,880 
			 Gatwick 489 56,282 
			 Southern 5,783 633,158 
			 SWT 5,677 570,587 
			 FGW 4,798 221,124 
			 MML 395 44,366

Railways

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the legal powers and planning consent he granted to Network Rail in respect of its Thameslink 2000 rail enhancement scheme will allow the closure of Kings Cross Thameslink station to proceed once arrangements are made for the operation of passenger services at St. Pancras Midland Road station, and fare and ticket retailing requirements are transferred, as set out by the decision letter of 17 October 2006.

Stephen Ladyman: Yes.

Railways

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on the Kent Integrated Railway franchise.

Tom Harris: Officials from the Department are currently dealing with representations regarding the forthcoming zonalisation of the fare structure in London. This change to fare regulation will simplify the fares in the London area and will pave the way for Oyster Pre Pay to be rolled out on the national rail in London.

Railways

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether plans exist to begin running a 24-hour train service  (a) on lines that serve major cities and  (b) on other lines.

Tom Harris: No such plans exist.

Railways

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what operating revenue First Great Western is making on its service from London Paddington to Swansea for the most recent period for which figures are available.

Tom Harris: Detailed break-downs of rail franchisees' revenues are commercially confidential.

Road Pricing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assumptions about the likely effect of his proposals for road pricing he makes when assessing the case for the construction of individual road projects;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the impact of his proposals for a national road pricing scheme on the need for the construction of the Mottram to Entwhistle by-pass.

Stephen Ladyman: Current legislation allows for new trunk roads (including motorways) to be tolled in order to recoup construction costs, but powers to price existing trunk roads to manage demand are very limited. Local authorities can propose pricing on nearby trunk roads as part of a local pricing scheme. Provided suitable proposals come forward from local authorities, we would expect to see the first schemes operational in four to five years. From these initial schemes we will evaluate the impacts of pricing and how it can be effectively used to manage demand.
	We have no intention of pre-empting the debate to be had on national road pricing by seeking powers for such a scheme at this time.
	At the moment, while we are still gathering evidence of how road pricing will be operating in practice, the Department, does not require the appraisal process for road improvement proposals to include an assessment of the impact of road pricing. However, we are keeping the position under review and looking at schemes on a case by case basis.

Road Surfacing Recycling

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of used waste road surface was recycled in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is not available.

Road traffic: Census

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department provides to local authorities with regard to  (a) road and  (b) weather conditions when carrying out traffic censuses involving the stopping of vehicles to interrogate the driver.

Stephen Ladyman: Recommended standard procedures to be used when conducting traffic surveys by roadside interviews are contained in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, Advice Note TA/11/81. This can be found at the following web address:
	http://www.standardsforhighways.co.uk/dmrb/vol5/section1/ta1181.pdf.

Roads: Tolls

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department has given to local authorities bidding to take part in road user charging road toll experiments on ensuring that the roads covered encompass all alternative routes for participating vehicles.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department has consulted on draft guidance to local authorities developing road pricing pilot schemes. This advises that local authorities should undertake traffic modelling to understand the full range of impacts of road pricing schemes, including diversion, and to reflect these in design. The draft guidance can be found on the Department's transport appraisal website at:
	www.webtag.org.uk.

Sadlers Farm Roundabout

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles used the Sadlers Farm roundabout on the A13 according to Essex in the last four sets of data available.

Stephen Ladyman: The A13 at Sadlers Farm is not a trunk road. Therefore the responsibility for holding any available data lies with Essex county council as local highway authority, rather than the Department.

Sadlers Farm Roundabout

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of  (a) carbon dioxide and  (b) other emissions from traffic on the Sadlers Farm roundabout on the A13 in Essex.

Stephen Ladyman: None. The A13 at Sadlers Farm is not a trunk road. The responsibility for carrying out any assessments which may be needed lies with Essex county council as local highway authority rather than the Department.

Television Advertisements

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent by his Department on television advertisements in the last year for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: Expenditure on television advertising by the Department and Executive Agencies for fiscal year 2005-06 was as follows:
	6.86 million in DfT Central in support of the THINK! road safety campaign.
	5.41 million by DVLA covering the Harmonised Registration Certificate, Continuous Registration, Sale of Number Plates and Vehicle Excise Duty in Scotland.
	17,300 by the Government Car and Despatch Agency on the Local Government Channel on Sky, which was shown as part of the June Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy conference.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Consultants

John Hayes: To ask the Leader of the House which 10 consultancy fees charged to his Department since May 1997 were the most expensive.

Jack Straw: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons has employed consultants on only one occasion since 1997. The details are set out as follows.
	 August 2005:
	Project: Review of private office correspondence database
	Total cost: 3,760

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

BAE Systems

Norman Lamb: To ask the Solicitor-General what the role is of  (a) the Serious Fraud Office and  (b) the Ministry of Defence police in the investigation of allegations of corruption by BAE Systems with respect to sales to (i) Chile, (ii) Romania, (iii) Saudi Arabia, (iv) South Africa and (v) Tanzania.

Mike O'Brien: I can confirm that the SFO, in conjunction with the MOD police, is currently investigating allegations which relate to BAE Systems plc.

Barristers (Prosecution Fees)

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Solicitor-General how much was paid to each barrister prosecuting a case on behalf of the Crown in each year from 2001 to 2006 listed in descending order of the value of fees paid.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not collated centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost (Code of Practice on Government Information, part 2, clause 9).
	Furthermore, in line with some counsel fee payment processes for the period in question, fees were paid to a group of barristers from the same chambers, rather than individuals. This information cannot therefore be disaggregated.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Business Link

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress he has made on the regionalisation of Business Link.

Margaret Hodge: The regional development agencies (RDAs) became responsible for managing Business Link in April 2005.
	Individual RDAs determine how they deliver the business link service in their region. Some RDAs have decided to implement a centralised management structure, whilst others have decided to retain a local Business Link structure. The RDAs seek approval from the DTI Secretary of State for their plans by submitting their proposals to the Central Project Review Group (CPRG) made up of representatives from DTI, Treasury and SBS.
	The RDAs that have already received approval for their proposals are: London Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands and East Midlands Development Agency. The Northwest Development Agency, East of England Development Agency, One North East and the South East of England Development Agency are currently awaiting approval. Yorkshire and Humberside and South West Development agencies have yet to make their applications for approval.

Coal Industry Compensation

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the departmental minute to Parliament on non-statutory liability to compensate miners for exposure to surface dust tabled in July 2000 represented a Government commitment to pay that compensation.

Malcolm Wicks: Paragraph 6 of the minute specifically states that compensation would need to be negotiated in detail. The Government put forward proposals for compensation, but these were rejected by the solicitors representing claimants. The Government remain committed to compensating where liability is proven.

Coal Industry Compensation

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department sought medical advice on the compensation for miners for exposure to surface dust before it tabled a minute reporting liability for compensation in July 2000.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department used the medical advice submitted in the original trial in deciding the liability owed to surface workers. Specific medical advice regarding the evidence of COPD in surface workers was sought before the submission of the minute, but was only received after the minute was submitted.

Coal Industry Compensation

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date his Department decided to seek medical advice on the compensation for miners exposed to surface dust.

Malcolm Wicks: Medical advice was consistently being sought and given on a number of issues arising from the original trial. Specifically, the Department sought advice on the 19 June 2000 on the basis of the evidence that had been collated at that time.

Coal Industry Compensation

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether Ministers in his Department had been informed that officials were seeking medical advice on compensation for miners for exposure to surface dust when the Department tabled a minute to Parliament accepting liability.

Malcolm Wicks: Yes.

Coal Industry Compensation

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether Ministers in his Department approved the action of officials to seek medical advice on compensation for miners for surface dust; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Yes.

Companies Bill

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the evidential basis is for the Government's view that the Companies Bill will bring significant savings to companies in all areas throughout the UK.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 28 November 2006
	The Government published a regulatory impact assessment (RIA) alongside the Companies Bill, available on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file29937.pdf
	The RIA explains the difficulty of precise quantification in this area. The RIA assessment was therefore based on discussions with business in the course of developing the Bill, and the assessment concluded that direct savings could be of the order of 160 to 320 million per annum.

Departmental Contracts

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much his Department paid to DHL in each financial year between 1997-98 and 2005-06.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The DTI paid 18,120.55 to DHL for services relating to the central London HQ Estate during 2005-06.
	DTI had no arrangements in place for using the services of DHL in those buildings before 1 April 2005.

Departmental Research and Development

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of his Department's research and development budget has been spent on research establishments based in  (a) Wales,  (b) England,  (c) Scotland and  (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following table shows the Research Councils' total expenditure on all establishments in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and their expenditure on their Institutes in each of the last five years. All figures are in 000.
	
		
			  Research Councils UK regional spend 
			  000 
			  FY  England  Scotland  Wales  Northern Ireland  Overseas  International subscriptions  Central expenditure 
			  2005-06 1,801,696 219,744 48,207 10,275 23,881 233,005 141,447 
			  Of which:
			 Spent in Research Council Institutes 671,444 61,952 8,538 1,378 21,049   
			 
			  2004-05 1,532,191 200,685 42,241 8,200 17,672 228,975 99,848 
			  Of which:
			 Spent in Research Council Institutes 570,223 57,301 7,012 1,174 15,008   
			 
			  2003-04 1,445,272 178,188 40,020 6,308 13,545 211,215 114,040 
			  Of which:
			 Spent in Research Council Institutes 584,901 53,542 6,676 608 12,959   
			 
			  2002-03 1,413,592 161,718 44,959 5,598 12,790 142,654 104,287 
			  Of which:
			 Spent in Research Council Institutes 511,541 43,367 7,003 569 12,664   
			 
			  2001-02 1,332,128 162,134 39,787 8,709 13,985 116,453 93,469 
			  Of which:
			 Spent in Research Council Institutes 500,068 43,952 5,581 592 13,824   
			  Note:  Figures for FY 2005-06 are provisional, and include, for the first time, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, which was created on 1 April 2005.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many value for money exercises on the use of  (a) management consultants and  (b) professional advisers were conducted by his Department in each of the last five years for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A review of the engagement and management of consultancies (incorporating both  (a) and  (b)) was carried out from July to November of 2003. The review examined how value for money in the engagement and management of consultants could be optimised. The Department adopted the findings of the review. This has resulted in a reduction in consultancy costs in each subsequent financial year as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 2003-04 112 
			 2004-05 86 
			 2005-06 53.6 
		
	
	Furthermore in the current financial year an enhanced internal approval process has been implemented for proposed consultancy engagements exceeding 50,000. This enables transparency of decision making, based on sound business case proposals for provision of best value for money in each case.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his Department's annual budget is for employing workers on a consultancy basis; and how much of this budget was used in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DTI does not have a specific annual budget for engaging workers on a consultancy basis. Consultancy requirements reflect specific and changing business needs within the Department. However our spend over the last five financial years has been as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 2001-02 64 
			 2002-03 93 
			 2003-04 112 
			 2004-05 86 
			 2005-06 53.6

Energy Costs

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the number of people in arrears for electricity and gas bills.

Malcolm Wicks: In December 2005, one million gas customers and 1.2 million electricity customers were repaying a debt through their prepayment meter or by repayment arrangements. Around 60 per cent. of these customers owed less than 100 to their energy suppliers.

Energy Costs

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent  (a) discussions he has had with and  (b) representations he has received from steel manufacturers on energy costs.

Malcolm Wicks: On 13 July I met a delegation from the Metals Forum, including a representative of the trade association UK Steel, to discuss energy costs and a range of other issues affecting the metals sector. Since then several hon. Members have raised this matter in writing on behalf of steel operations in their constituencies. In addition, DTI officials have discussed the issue on a number of occasions in their day-to-day contacts with key companies in this sector. Furthermore, the Department has set up the Business Energy Forum which is jointly chaired by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Richard Lambert of the Confederation of British Industry to look at prices, supply and the winter outlook for all industries. This is an area the Department takes very seriously and we are grateful to the representatives of UK industry that work with us on these matters.

Energy Costs

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes in expenditure his Department is making to the non-household sectors of the low carbon buildings programme to fund the additional expenditure on household grants announced by the Energy Minister on 27 October.

Malcolm Wicks: When the Low Carbon Buildings programme phase one was launched in April 2006, we allocated 6.5 million to the household stream. On 25 October, we announced that a further 6.2 million of the total 28.5 million funding was to be re-allocated to the household stream for allocation up to June 2008. This is being achieved by transferring the bulk of public sector projects to the Low Carbon Buildings programme phase two, where 50 million is being made available to support projects in the public and not for profit sectors.

Energy Costs

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much of the 6.2 million funding for the household section of the Low Carbon Buildings programme (LCBP) announced on 27 October is  (a) new funding and  (b) the re-allocation of existing LCBP funds.

Malcolm Wicks: On 25 October 2006 we announced that 6.2 million of the total 28.5 million funding for the Low Carbon Buildings programme phase one was to be re-allocated to the household stream from all other streams. There has been no increase in funding.

European Union

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the financial cost of EU regulations to UK businesses.

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have undertaken work to measure the administrative costs to business, charities and the voluntary sector arising from legislationincluding European Union lawin force in England. The results of this exercise are due to be published before the end of this year in departmental simplification plans. These plans will include departments' proposals to reduce administrative costs arising from EU law where it is appropriate to do so. The European Commission has also recently proposed a strategy to measure and reduce administrative burdens across the European Union.

Farepak

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to ensure the administrator costs for Farepak are kept to a minimum.

Ian McCartney: I do appreciate the concerns that people have regarding the costs of insolvency proceedings, but insolvency legislation attempts to leave the matter of the practitioner's remuneration to the creditors, as they have most interest in the matter.
	In my dealings with the Administratorswho have been most helpful in providing information and advice to the Family Fund and myselfI have noted how they have tried to keep their costs to a minimum so that as much money as possible can be returned to Farepak customers.
	It is not possible for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to intervene in determining the amount of the administrator's remuneration. The basis on which an administrator's remuneration may be calculated is set out in the Insolvency Rules 1986.
	It is also possible for the court to reduce the amount of remuneration where creditors claim that it is excessive.

Fuel Meters

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of consumers have a pay-as-you-go meter to supply  (a) gas and  (b) electricity.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 30 November 2006
	In 2005, 11 per cent. of gas customers2.2 millionand 14 per cent. of electricity customers3.6 millionused a prepayment meter.

Microgeneration

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which local authorities use microgeneration programmes to power council facilities  (a) wholly and  (b) partly.

Malcolm Wicks: We do not hold comprehensive data on which local authorities use microgeneration to power council facilities. The closest proxy we have is the data held in relation to capital grants we have awarded. Under our previous programmes (Clear Skies and the Major PV Demonstration Programme) and the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, we have awarded capital grants to the local authorities on microgeneration technologies on a variety of buildings. The document will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

North East Productivity Alliance

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies have received the assistance of the North East Productivity Alliance's Best Practice Team (NEPA); in what  (a) locations,  (b) industries and  (c) fields the companies assisted by NEPA were based; what assessment he has made of NEPA's effectiveness; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The North East Productivity Alliance's Dissemination of Best Manufacturing Practice project has helped 286 General Manufacturing companies in the region since its inception in 2003; of which:
	35 were based in Tees Valley
	92 in County Durham
	40 in Northumberland, and
	119 in Tyne and Wear
	Companies cover all manufacturing sectors in the region, including: Automotive, Aerospace, Food and Drink, Electronics, Plastics, Textiles, Shipbuilding and repair, Oil and gas, Pharmaceuticals, Construction, Marine, Rail, White Goods, Process industries, Printing, Furniture and General Engineering. The project has been evaluated in a number of ways during this time: including through the National Audit Office's assessment of the performance of One NorthEast, and in studies by Tribal HCH (March 2005), KPMG (March 2005 and ERS (March 2006).

Nuclear Waste

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many sites in the UK are being considered for the storage of nuclear waste.

Malcolm Wicks: Prior to final disposal, nuclear waste needs to be stored on an interim basis. Interim storage occurs on all NDA and British Energy sites. The search for a final disposal repository location has not yet begun and there are no sites currently under consideration.
	On 25 October 2006 the UK Government and Devolved Administrations responded to the report published on 31 July 2006 by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM). The Government accepted that geological disposal coupled with safe and secure interim storage is the best way forward for the long-term management of the UK's higher activity radioactive wastes. The Government also confirmed they are supportive of exploring an approach based on voluntarism (that is, willingness to participate) and partnership with local communities.

Patent Office

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Patent Office; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Intellectual Property is key to UK competitiveness in a global knowledge economy and the Patent Office is responsible for the IP regime which allows creators and inventors limited privileges, enabling them to lever economic success from their creativity.
	The DTI Innovation Report, launched in December 2003 set out how the DTI needed to improve the way it helped UK businesses to successfully exploit their new ideas. The Patent Office's role has been key in taking forward recommendations arising out of the report which included increased awareness and understanding of IP, improved confidence in IP protection by improving speed and costs of resolving disputes and working with others in tackling IP crime. Outcomes have included a range of tailored awareness raising for SMEs and an educational resource, the introduction of an Opinions service and publication of the first National Enforcement Report and IP Crime Strategy.
	A recommendation of Better Government ServicesExecutive Agencies in the 21(st) Century published by the Prime Minister's Office of Public Services Reform in July 2002 was that the central programme of quinquennial reviews of agencies such as the Patent Office (last reviewed in 2001) was abolished and replaced by business reviews of the end-to-end process in achieving specific outcomes. Each year the Patent Office agrees its Business Plan with the Department of Trade and Industry to ensure its objectives match departmental objectives and plans. Agency targets are reviewed on an annual basis and agreed in discussion with the Department and Minister. The Patent Office has a track record of continued improvement on timeliness of delivery of patents, trade marks and designs and has continued to reduce its backlogs (17 per cent. reduction in patents backlog for the financial year 2005-06). Agency targets for 2005-06 were met or exceeded and this trend continues into 2006-07.

Post Offices

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the social  (a) role played and  (b) value provided by post offices in disadvantaged communities; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government have invested more than 2 billion since 1999 in the Post Office network because we recognise the important social value and economic role of post offices, particularly in rural and deprived urban areas. We also recognise that many such post offices can never be commercially viable and will need continued public funding. We will be announcing shortly our proposals for ensuring a long-term stable footing for a national Post Office network.

Public Appointments

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which public appointments have been made by his Department to former Ministers who have served in the Government since May 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Information on the public appointments held by former Ministers is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Public body  Former Minister  Dates 
			 National Consumer Council (NCC) Lord Whitty of Camberwell Appointed chair 6 March 2006

Renewable Energy

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what grants are available to  (a) local authorities and  (b) the private sector to establish wind turbines.

Malcolm Wicks: The Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1 was launched on 1 April 2006, with a budget of 28.5 million available for allocation to successful applicants over three years. This budget was divided into streams 1 and 2 for 10.5 million and 18 million respectively.
	Currently, local authorities can apply under streams 1 and 2 of the programme, depending on the scale of their project, while businesses can apply under stream 2 only. Wind turbines are eligible under both streams. Local authorities can also apply for grants under Phase 2 of the programme, where a further 50 million has been made available to the public and not for profit sector, including funding for wind turbines.
	Further information on the scheme can be found at:
	www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk

S Band Spectrum

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what his policy is on optimizing S band spectrum space;
	(2)  if the Government will review the process for allocating S band spectrum;
	(3)  what representations he has received on the allocation of S band spectrum space in the last 12 months;
	(4)  what recent discussions he has had with Ofcom on the allocation of S band spectrum space.

Margaret Hodge: The Office of Communications (Ofcom), the independent regulator of communications is responsible for managing civil radio spectrum in the UK including setting the policy for optimizing its use. S Band is used for mobile satellite communications and the arrangements for its future allocation, and assignment to specific services, is therefore subject to international discussions within the relevant EU Committees. There are a number of potentially competing demands for access to this spectrum for both two-way mobile communication and for mobile TV. Ofcom represents the UK at EU meetings dealing with spectrum issues and regularly consults interested parties. I have not received any representations within the last 12 months, nor have I had discussions with Ofcom, but my officials are in regular contact with both Ofcom and industry representatives.

South-West Regional Development Agency

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost was of running the South West Regional Development Agency in the last period for which figures are available; and what work it has  (a) undertaken and  (b) completed in the Bournemouth area.

Margaret Hodge: The funds allocated to the South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) for 2005-06 were 20,175,000.
	SWRDA works with other partners to deliver the priorities in the Regional Economic Strategy. It has developed a range of regional programmes to support business productivity, encourage new enterprise and deliver skills for the economy which benefit business in the Bournemouth area. An example of this work is the SWRDA's support for the ASTREA programme to develop unmanned aircraft which benefits Flight Refuelling who employ a number of Bournemouth residents.
	SWRDA has invested in two business incubation centres, one at Bournemouth university which opened in 2002 and another at the Arts Institute at Bournemouth which opened in 2005 to support the retention of graduates in the local economy, particularly in the growth areas of computer animation and new media.
	Tourism is vital to the economy of Bournemouth and SWRDA has worked closely with the council in developing a major project to enhance and refurbish the Bournemouth International Conference Centre. The rejuvenated facility opened in autumn 2005 and independent analysis suggests its customers now provide one quarter of the business for Bournemouth's hotels, and are particularly important in the spring/autumn tourism season.
	To address skills gaps and staff shortages in the hotel sector regionally and nationally, SWRDA is developing a national first, the Bournemouth Hotel School. It has assembled a site adjoining the Bournemouth International Conference Centre and appointed a private sector developer and operator who will invest around 30 million in this facility. This will also be the first newly built four star hotel in Bournemouth for many years.
	Bournemouth contains areas of deprivation and SWRDA targeted the Boscombe area for investment through its Single Regeneration Budget programme in 2001. This programme concludes in 2007 and has delivered a range of new job opportunities, training and other community benefits including a new Enterprise Centre.

Supply2.gov.uk

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how many business organisations attended the Supply2.gov.uk roadshow on 25 October 2006 sponsored by South East England Development Agency; and what the total cost was of running the event;
	(2)  how many business organisations attended the Supply2.gov.uk roadshow on 26 October 2006 sponsored by East of England Development Agency; and what the total cost was of running the event;
	(3)  how many business organisations attended the supply2.gov.uk roadshow on 20 September 2006 sponsored by One North East; and what the total cost was of running the event;
	(4)  how many business organisations attended the supply2.gov.uk roadshow on 21 September 2006 sponsored by North West Development Agency; and what the total cost was of running the event;
	(5)  how many business organisations attended the supply2.gov.uk roadshow on 5 October 2006 sponsored by Advantage West Midlands; and what the total cost was of running the event;
	(6)  how many business organisations attended the supply2.gov.uk roadshow on 10 October 2006 sponsored by London Development Agency; and what the total cost was of running the event;
	(7)  how many business organisations attended the supply2.gov.uk roadshow sponsored by Yorkshire Forward on 17 October 2006; and what the total cost was of running the event;
	(8)  how many business organisations attended the supply2.gov.uk roadshow on 18 October 2006 sponsored by the East Midlands Development Agency; and what the total cost was of running the event;
	(9)  how many business organisations attended the supply2.gov.uk roadshow on 19 October 2006 sponsored by Yorkshire Forward; and what the total cost was of running the event.

Margaret Hodge: The number of business organisations who attended each individual road show was as follows:
	
		
			  Region  Date  Attendees 
			 North East 20 September 26 
			 North West 21 September 63 
			 South West(1) 4 October 92 
			 West Midlands 5 October 128 
			 London 10 October 137 
			 East Midlands 18 October 158 
			 Yorkshire 19 October 71 
			 South East 25 October 87 
			 East England 26 October 167 
			 (1) Although a question was not raised asking for details of the roadshow that occurred in the South West, we have included this. 
		
	
	The event in Hull (PQ 2006/182) on 17 October was not one of the official series of www.supply2.gov.uk roadshows and therefore we have not included details of this. Although this event was advertised in the www.supply2.gov.uk promotion material, this was actually a Selling to the public sector event arranged by Business Link Humber and the Yorkshire and Humberside Development Agency.
	The total cost of the support provided by the DTI was 7,500. BDP Solutions, the service provider for www.supply2.gov.uk, contributed the remainder of the costs.

Wind Power

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with E.ON since January 2005 on the level of financial support for off-shore wind farms; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: DTI officials have regular meetings with E.ON to monitor progress on the Round One offshore wind farm projects at Scroby Sands and Robin Rigg, which have been awarded capital grants.
	Officials have also met E.ON to discuss the current consultation on the renewables obligation, including the future support for offshore wind.

Wind Power

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much energy from wind power is being directed to the National Grid.

Malcolm Wicks: The installed capacity of wind power in the UK currently stands at 1,943 MW.
	For 2005, the last year for which we have figures, electricity generation from wind power was 2,908 GWh.

Work and Families Act

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from  (a) businesses and  (b) business organisations on the operation of the Work and Families Act 2006.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The various public consultations undertaken relating to the Work and Families Act have received a wide range of representations from businesses and business organisations. Details of the responses can be found on the DTI's website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/index.html (see Holidays and Work and Families sections).
	In addition to the formal consultation exercises, officials have been involved in numerous meetings to discuss these issues with business representatives and other stakeholders. Ministers have also discussed these matters in their own meetings with business, ensuring that business interests have been taken into account. Finally, development of the changes has been informed by an HR advisory group specifically set-up to look at how to ease compliance for employers.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Barnsley metropolitan borough council's scheme to reduce its carbon emissions through the installation of woodchip fuel in its heating systems.

Ian Pearson: We have noted Barnsley borough council's active support for biomass heat and we welcome the progress they have made towards their target of a 60 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010.
	We recognise that there are many local and regional initiatives which aim to reduce carbon emissions through the use of biomass heat and electricity. We are currently collecting information on these initiatives, through the Government Office network, and will assess them to see what lessons can be learnt. The results will inform the work currently being undertaken to develop a UK Biomass Strategy.

Biodiversity

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to approve the new Biodiversity Action Plan targets.

Barry Gardiner: The new Biodiversity Action Plan targets have been approved and are now available on the UK Biodiversity Partnership's website:
	http://www.ukbap.org.uk/BAPGroupPage.aspx?id=98

Biofuels

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the UK's biofuels consumption is met by imports, broken down by  (a) country of origin and  (b) feedstock.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is not available.

Biofuels

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the environmental impact of importing biofuels;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that imported biofuels are not produced at the expense of rainforests and other eco-sensitive areas.

Ian Pearson: The environmental sustainability of production is one of the Government's key priorities for biofuel development. That is why the Government are developing an environmental assurance scheme as an integral part of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). This will require all obligated companies to report on the greenhouse gas balance and wider environmental impacts of their biofuels. The reports will include details of the previous use of the land on which the biofuel feedstocks were grown, and the impacts on biodiversity of growing those feedstocks. This will encourage companies to supply biofuels which deliver the maximum greenhouse gas savings with the minimum environmental impact. It will also ensure that we can monitor the impact of both imported and domestically-sourced biofuels.
	The Government will be looking to move to a system that allows only biofuels which meet certain minimum sustainability standards to benefit from the RTFO. This will involve developing a verifiable and robust system that is compatible with World Trade Organisation requirements on barriers to trade.

Bovine TB

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what compensation EU countries receive from the European Commission for bovine tuberculosis breakdowns.

Ben Bradshaw: DEFRA does not hold this information. However, information on the support that member states receive is available on the European Union website at:
	http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/diseases/eradication/legisl_en.htm.

British Waterways

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of recent funding changes to British Waterways; what criteria his Department took into account when making that assessment; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 2 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 571-72W, 7 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 1067-68W, and 23 November 2006,  Official Report, column 159W.

Bush Meat

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to tackle the international trade in bush meat.

Barry Gardiner: An inter-departmental ministerial body on biodiversity issues has commissioned a study into the importance of bush meat to poverty alleviation and biodiversity loss. It is expected to report in the new year.
	DEFRA is funding the Bushmeat Working Group which considers strategies for a sustainable bush meat trade. Moreover, a number of agencies, Government Departments and local authorities are working together and sharing information to tackle meat crime in a co-ordinated manner. The Government have put 25 million into tackling illegal imports of animal products, following the foot and mouth outbreak, which will help counter illegal bush meat imports.
	However, it must be stressed that there is a limit to what the Government can do in terms of tackling the trade in bush meat. We cannot intervene directly in sovereign matters of other countries, and bush meat has been a legitimate and acceptable food source in many countries for generations.

Cattewater Harbour

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will respond to petitioners who have objected to the decision to grant a licence to dispose of dredging material from Cattewater harbour in Whitsand Bay; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has granted a licence under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 to Cattewater Harbour Commissioners (valid from 28 July 2006 until 27 July 2007) that authorises the disposal of up to 19,500 tonnes of maintenance dredgings from the Harbour at the Rame Head disposal site. This quantity represents a relatively small fraction of the quantity of material which has regularly been disposed of in Whitsand Bay.
	Licence applications are subject to robust assessment, in consultation with a range of stakeholders, and include a scientific analysis of the material for disposal. The material was assessed as suitable for disposal at sea and, while Cornwall county council objected to the continued use of Rame Head, other stakeholders were content for the licence to be issued.
	In recognition of local concerns which have been voiced over the continued use of the Rame Head site, discussions have taken place with local scientists and stakeholders and a public meeting has been held to explain the evidence of underpinning licence decisions and the results of monitoring.
	Although this did not convince all those opposed to the use of Rame Head, the Department considers that, subject to ongoing monitoring, disposal activity at the site is environmentally acceptable.
	In addition, I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 28 November 2006,  Official Report, column 497W.

Cattle Testing

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to reassess the arrangements for the pre-movement testing of cattle.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 27 November 2006,  Official Report, column 286W.

Civil Servants

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many civil servants on  (a) permanent and  (b) temporary contracts have (i) been recruited and (ii) left his Department and each of its agencies in each year since May 2001.

Barry Gardiner: The following tables give the information requested.
	
		
			  Recruitment 
			2001-02( 1)  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07( 2) 
			 DEFRA Perm 915 683 617 482 445 154 
			  Temp 1,565 533 370 517 400 114 
			 CEFAS(3) Perm 37 69 58 42 40 51 
			  Temp 11 11 14 0 3 1 
			 CSL(4) Perm n/a n/a n/a n/a 33 21 
			  Temp n/a n/a n/a n/a 102 74 
			 GDS(5) Perm 7 4 
			  Temp 2 3 
			 MFA(6) Perm 10 3 
			  Temp 3 2 
			 PSD Perm 9 6 9 19 12 0 
			  Temp 8 5 9 11 7 3 
			 RPA Perm 3,313 247 732 41 194 355 
			  Temp 665 524 393 551 534 149 
			 SVS(7) Perm 65 76 
			  Temp 138 48 
			 VLA Perm 177 168 102 77 92 54 
			  Temp 42 70 44 30 34 32 
			 VMD Perm 17 11 20 7 14 2 
			  Temp 1 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Leavers (including transfers to other Government Departments) 
			2001-02( 1)  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07( 2) 
			 DEFRA Perm 510 661 549 516 465 378 
			  Temp 1,577 857 350 300 289 325 
			 CEFAS(3) All staff 47 63 55 63 57 42 
			 CSL(4) Perm n/a n/a n/a n/a 62 35 
			  Temp n/a n/a n/a n/a 59 73 
			 GDS(5) Perm 0 2 
			  Temp 0 2 
			 MFA(6) Perm 0 7 
			  Temp 0 4 
			 PSD Perm 11 7 6 7 11 9 
			  Temp 7 4 7 5 5 4 
			 RPA Perm 326 348 468 452 618 193 
			  Temp 307 449 341 312 469 257 
			 SVS(7) Perm 62 39 
			  Temp 77 61 
			 VLA Perm 129 119 125 116 101 64 
			  Temp 3 34 34 21 16 10 
			 VMD Perm 10 5 11 4 0 3 
			  Temp 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (1) 2001-02 covers the period from 8 June 2001, when DEFRA was created, to 31 March 2002 (except the Rural Payments Agency, where the data cover the period from 1 April 2001). (2) 2006-07 covers the period from 1 April to 31 October 2006. (3) Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) figures cover calendar years. (4) Central Science Laboratory (CSL) figures before April 2005 not available. (5) The Government Decontamination Service (GDS) was created on 1 October 2005. (6) The Marine Fisheries Agency (MFA) was created on 1 October 2005. (7) The State Veterinary Service (SVS) was created on 1 April 2005.

Climate Change

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice and guidance he has provided for farmers on the effects of climate change and the potential effects it will have on how crops are grown in the future.

Ian Pearson: For agriculture, as for all sectors, our key advice is that businesses should consider the risks and the opportunities of a changing climate as an integral part of business planning. The impact of climate change on businesses will vary, and it is best that farmers and other decision-makers adapt to match their own circumstances, based on clear and relevant information from the Government.
	The UK Climate Change Impacts Programme (http://www.ukcip.org.uk/) is a DEFRA-funded resource and outreach service that facilitates advice and guidance on impacts and adaptation for the public and private sectors. It is very active in engaging and advising the farming sector, for example in holding a joint seminar this September with the National Farmers' Union and the Country Land and Business Association.
	At a more strategic level, the Government have set up the Rural Climate Change Forum as a high-level forum for discussion, input into policy development, and communication with land managers on climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Forum has discussed practical actions for adaptation, how best to communicate key messages on climate change to this sector, and has advised the Government on the development of climate change policy.
	To support this activity the Government will continue to fund research on impacts and adaptation responses for land managers. Understanding of these issues is supported within DEFRA by an on-going research programme of 4 million into both the impacts of climate change on agriculture, and the means through which agriculture can contribute to reducing emissions. This work is complemented by knowledge transfer programmes to ensure this information reaches farmers and their advisers.

Climate Change Bill

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in what ways the Government's Waste Strategy 2000 and its pending review will inform the provisions of the Climate Change Bill which was announced in the Queen's Speech; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The impact of waste management on climate change is one of the key considerations of the Review of the Waste Strategy. Waste accounts for 3.4 per cent. of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions and the integrated approach that will be set out in the revised waste strategy will reduce these emissions.
	The Climate Change Bill will put into place a long-term framework for emissions reductions including putting in statute the Government's goal of a 60 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. It will also establish an independent bodythe Carbon Committeeto work with the Government to reduce emissions across the economy, create enabling powers to put in place measures to achieve our goals and improve monitoring and reporting arrangements.
	We are determined to promote the widest possible debate in the Houses of Parliament and across the country about the contents of the Bill. The outcome of the Review of the Waste Strategy will help inform this process.

Consultants

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which external consultants were used by  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies in relation to (i) private finance initiatives and (ii) public-private partnerships in 2005-06; and what the (A) nature and (B) cost of the work was in each case.

Barry Gardiner: Information about the external consultants used by the Department and its agencies in 2005-06 to advise on Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) is set out in the following table. Details of the companies with whom PFI and PPP deals themselves have been agreed are available on Partnerships UK's (PUK) website.
	
		
			  Agency  Consultant  Nature of work  Cost () 
			  PFI
			 DEFRA Davis Langdon and Everest Cambridge Eastbrook PFI contractfinancial advice 1,500 
			 DEFRA Eversheds Cambridge Eastbrook PFI contractlegal advice 2,500 
			 DEFRA Partnerships UK Nottingham County Council and Cornwall County Council Waste PFI: Commercial Negotiation Support for Standardisation of PFI Contracts 3 (SoPCS) work 191,722 
			 DEFRA Partnerships UK Formal training of DEFRA staff: 5,604 
			   Introduction to the Project Review Group's (PRG) waste PFI assessment criteria  
			 DEFRA Partnerships UK Generic PFI Work: Interpretation and adaptation of HM Treasury's generic PFI Value for Money (VfM) Stage 2 tool to the Waste PFI sector 14,666 
			 DEFRA Jacobs UK Ltd. Generic Waste PFI: Review of Local Authority Waste Disposal Companies and their role in future procurement 759 
			 DEFRA Partnerships UK Generic PFI Work: Interpretation and adaptation of HM Treasury's generic PFI Value for Money (VfM) Stage 2 tool to the Waste PFI sector 2,371 
			 DEFRA RPS Group Plc. DEFRA PFI related research on Refuse Derived Fuel 11,750 
			 DEFRA Deloitte M C S Ltd. Review of Dorset Waste PFI Outline Business Case 16,433 
			 DEFRA KPMG Consultancy on Waste PFI Projects 70,000 
			 DEFRA Eunomia Research and Consulting Ltd. Consultancy on Waste PFI Projects 18,019 
			 DEFRA Jacobs UK Ltd. Generic Waste PFI: Benchmarking of Waste PFI Infrastructure management costs 28,130 
			 DEFRA KPMG Waste PFI: Review and Financial Assessment of Cheshire County Council Waste PFI Outline Business Case 24,239 
			 DEFRA Public Private Partnership Programme Consultancy on Waste PFI Projects 17,827 
			 DEFRA Juniper Consultancy Services Ltd. Generic Waste PFI: Energy from Waste and the Review of Renewable Obligations Certificates: Discussion Paper 2,115 
			 
			  PPP
			 British Waterways Nabarro Nathanson Gloucester QuaysLegal Advice 72,505 
			 British Waterways Ernst and Young Gloucester QuaysFinancial Advice 33,040 
			 Environment Agency Partnerships UK Development of a commercialisation strategy. 25,000

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will reply to the letter of 11 October 2006, reference 273451, from the hon. Member for Walsall, North regarding a constituent.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 27 November 2006
	I apologise for the delay in replying to the hon. Member's letter. A response has now been issued.

Council Tax Rebate Programme

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his Department's press release of 13 March 2006, how much funding  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies is providing to the British council tax rebate programme.

Ian Pearson: The council tax rebate scheme is an independent activity undertaken by British Gas to help them meet their obligations, set by Government under the Energy Efficiency Commitment, to improve the energy efficiency of householders. It therefore involves no funding by DEFRA or its agencies.

Countryside Stewardship

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in making Countryside Stewardship payments; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: Substantial progress has been made in processing this year's Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) payments. As at 24 November, some 62.5 per cent. of claims received by Natural England had been processed for payment.
	Notwithstanding the progress made to date, the payment of claims remains a top priority for Natural England; efforts are on-going to ensure that all CSS claims received by the closing date will be processed for payment by the regulatory deadline of 31 January 2007.

Dairy Farming

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will hold discussions with EU partners on steps to ensure that British dairy farmers receive at least the cost of milk production in return for their product.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 27 November 2006
	The costs of production of individual farmers varies considerably within the UK and across the EU. It is up to farmers to calculate, then minimise, their costs of production while maximising their margins through negotiations with their milk purchasers. The Government cannot and should not get involved in price negotiations either in the UK or at EU level. The market must determine prices.

Dairy Farming

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to promote exports of UK dairy products.

Barry Gardiner: The promotion of dairy products is a matter for the dairy industry.
	However, DEFRA currently provides approximately 6 million a year to Food from Britain (FFB) to promote exports of all food and drink produced or processed in the United Kingdom. FFB also promotes the production and consumption of quality regional food and drink both in the UK and abroad. This support is available to producers of dairy products.

Draft Legislation

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what legislation his Department has drafted in the last 12 months which was not contained in this year's Queen's Speech.

Barry Gardiner: Primary legislation drafted by the Department over the last 12 months which is not specifically mentioned in the Queen's Speech is that contained in the Animal Welfare, Commons, and Natural Environment and Rural Communities Acts 2006.
	The Department has also drafted a significant quantity of secondary legislation, which in common with normal practice is not referred to in the Queen's Speech.
	The Queen's Speech does refer to other measures which covers legislation not specifically referred.

Emissions Trading

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on allocating allowances in phase two of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme.

Ian Pearson: The UK's National Allocation Plan for phase II of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), submitted on 21 August, sets out our methodology for allocating allowances. Phase II of the EU ETS allows for a maximum level of auctioning of allowances of 10 per cent., and we propose to set the level of auctioning in the UK at 7 per cent. The remainder of the allowances will be allocated in a two stage process that allocates allowances at sector level in the first instance and subsequently allocates to installations within each sector. Allocations at sector level, other than to the Large Electricity Producers (LEP), will be made on the basis of the sector's projected need between 2008 and 2012. Allocations at installation level will be based on historic emissions, with the exception of the LEP sector, whose allocations will be benchmarked.

Emissions Trading

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will assess the impact of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme.

Ian Pearson: The approved UK National Allocation Plan for Phase I (2005-2007) of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme is set to deliver savings in carbon dioxide emissions of around 65 million tonnes (roughly 8 per cent.) below the projected emissions of the traded sector.
	The UK's proposal for Phase II of the scheme provides business with additional certainty on the contribution it needs to make to help tackle climate change and is expected to deliver additional savings of 29.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
	Over 1,000 UK installations are covered by the scheme in the first phase, covering around 45 per cent. of the UK's CO2 emissions in 2002. Almost 12,000 installations are involved across the 25 member states of the EU, accounting for approximately 50 per cent. of EU CO2 emissions.
	The results of the first year of the scheme were published in May 2006. These showed that the infrastructure is working as expected, and that it provides a sound base to build on for the future. It is too early to determine the overall impact of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme with just one year's data. However DEFRA carried out an analysis of these data and will publish its findings shortly.

Emissions Trading

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of  (a) carbon dioxide emission and  (b) Kyoto basket emissions are estimated to have come from air transport flights taking off and landing in UK airports in 2005.

Ian Pearson: In 2004, the latest year for which figures are available, domestic aviation accounted for an estimated 0.42 per cent. of UK carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and an estimated 0.36 per cent. of UK greenhouse gas emissions in the Kyoto basket. These figures do not include international aviation which is reported as an information item in the UK greenhouse gas inventory but does not, by international agreement, count towards national totals.

Energy Crops

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to provide farmers with  (a) information and  (b) guidelines on the (i) production and (ii) support for production of energy crops.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA officials attend agricultural shows, workshops, seminars and conferences to explain the financial support and guidance that is available. DEFRA also provides articles for relevant farming journals and newsletters. Local support teams, set up under the Community Renewables Initiative, which is part-sponsored by DEFRA, also help to raise awareness.
	DEFRA's website gives details of the payments available to help establish energy crops and to develop supply lines. Best practice guidance booklets are available for growing short rotation coppice and miscanthus. These advise on the choice of site, planting techniques, crop management and harvesting methods. The Biomass Energy Centre (www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk) provides detailed information on all aspects of growing and supplying energy crops. The centre is supported by the Government and aim to draw together information from existing sources into one easy to use service based around the website and an information inquiry service.
	Further information is available on the DEFRA website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/crops/industrial/energy/index.htm

Energy Efficiency

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of recipients of support for  (a) energy efficiency and  (b) central heating installation from Eaga Group Warm Front grants are able to fund 100 per cent. of the necessary works from their grant.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 27 November 2006
	The Warm Front Scheme can provide a grant of up to 2,700 (or up to 4,000 where an oil central heating system is recommended). Where works recommended exceed the grant maxima, efforts are made to identify funding from other sources.
	Information from the current phase of the scheme indicates that:
	(i) Over 99 per cent. of cases that just require insulation measures can be fully funded by the Warm Front grant.
	(ii) Where heating measures alone are recommended, over 70 per cent. of cases can be fully funded by Warm Front, with 40 per cent. of those cases that exceed the grant maxima having previously received assistance from the scheme.
	(iii) Where both heating and insulation measures are recommended, over 85 per cent. of cases can be fully funded by Warm Front.
	In summary, over 89 per cent. of all cases can be fully funded by Warm Front.

Energy Efficiency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his departmental press release of 13 March 2006, what definition he used for a household that could benefit from cavity wall insulation installation; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Any household within the 16 councils who have signed up to the British Gas council tax rebate scheme, who have fillable cavities and are interested in applying, can benefit from cavity wall insulation installation.

Energy Efficiency

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what additional measures his Department has considered to promote energy efficiency within the home; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 30 November 2006
	As set out in July's Energy Review, we have built on the 2006 Climate Change Programme and announced a number of ambitious new measures to continue to promote an increase in household energy efficiency, including an energy supplier obligation to 2020, a strengthened emphasis on building and product standards and a renewed emphasis on the importance of individual action and citizen engagement. In total this package ensures that the household sector remains on course to achieve 60 per cent. carbon savings by 2050.

Fishing Fleet

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the age of fishing vessels in the national fleet.

Ben Bradshaw: The Marine Fisheries Agency collects data on the age of UK vessels (excluding islands), the following table gives the number of vessels constructed each year as at the end of 2005.
	
		
			   Under 10 metre  Over 10 metre 
			 Pre 1960 197 97 
			 1961-65 114 65 
			 1966-70 183 167 
			 1971-75 360 240 
			 1976-80 707 140 
			 1981-85 639 196 
			 1986-90 802 304 
			 1991-95 468 75 
			 1996-2000 486 102 
			 2001 86 26 
			 2002 88 15 
			 2003 81 22 
			 2004 82 21 
			 2005 49 13 
			 Unknown 491 25

Flooding

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent  (a) in England and  (b) in the Ouse catchment area on flood protection and alleviation measures by (i) the Government and (ii) City of York council in 2005-06; and what estimate he has made of the likely expenditure in 2006-07.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA funds most of the Environment Agency's (EA) flood-related work and grant aids individual capital improvement projects undertaken by local authorities and, in low-lying areas, internal drainage boards. The programme to manage risk is driven by these operating authorities; DEFRA does not build defences, nor direct the authorities on what specific projects to undertake.
	Local authority expenditure on flood risk management (including levies to the EA and internal drainage boards) is largely supported by the local government funding mechanisms operated by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
	Table 1 shows total central and local government expenditure on flood protection and alleviation measures in  (a) England and  (b) the Ouse catchment area. This includes expenditure on flood defences, flood warning and research and development, but excludes expenditure on measures primarily to reduce risk of coastal erosion (which can also sometimes help reduce flood risk).
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   million 
			   (a) England  
			   DEFRA grant and other expenditure  Local authority expenditure  (b)Ouse catchment( 1) 
			 2005-06 449.2 73.7 6.7 
			 2006-07(2) 436.6 71.8 5.8 
			 1 Defined as EA expenditure within the Ouse catchment area between the confluence with the River Ure and the confluence with the River Derwent. DEFRA grant to local authorities and/or internal drainage boards within the Ouse catchment area, if any, could not be determined without incurring disproportionate cost. 2 Forecast. 
		
	
	Table 2 shows spend by City of York council on their flood defence measures and special levies to internal drainage boards. This information was obtained from returns provided by the council to DCLG.
	
		
			  Table 2 
			   million 
			   Flood defence revenue expenditure  Internal drainage board special levies 
			 2005-06 0.4 0.5 
			 2006-07 0.1 0.5 
		
	
	The EA has undertaken significant works within the Ouse catchment area to repair and improve flood defences since the floods of autumn 2000. These include repairs to defences in York and Selby (including the Foss Barrier) totalling in excess of 1 million and improvements to flood defences in Selby, due to be completed in 2008 at a cost of some 14 million.

Flooding

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much  (a) capital and  (b) revenue funding was (i) allocated and (ii) spent on flood relief in each financial year since 2001-02 in 2006-07 prices.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA has overall policy responsibility for flood risk management in England, funds most of the Environment Agency (EA)'s flood related work and grant aids individual capital improvement projects undertaken by local authorities (LAs) and internal drainage boards (IDBs). The programme to manage risk is driven by these operating authorities; DEFRA does not carry out works, nor direct the authorities on which specific projects to undertake.
	The following table shows DEFRA initial funding allocations for flood risk management at the start of each year, together with outturns on EA spend and DEFRA funding to LAs and IDBs. The figures have been converted to approximate equivalents at today's prices using the public works non road inflation index published by the Department of Trade and Industry, with 2006-07 as the base year.
	
		
			   million 
			   Initial allocation at start of year  Spend outturn at end of year 
			   DEFRA funding to EA (grant in aid from 2004-05 onwards)  DEFRA capital funding to LAs and IDBs  EA spend  DEFRA capital funding to LAs/IDBs 
			   Rev.  Cap.  Cap.  Rev.  Cap.  Var.  Cap. 
			 2001-02 10.4 47.6 12.3 181.1 146.7 -12.9 7.0 
			 2002-03 4.3 65.3 14.4 180.6 176.4 17.9 14.7 
			 2003-04 5.3 67.6 13.0 193.5 182.0 -0.2 9.1 
			 2004-05 284.6 76.0 14.0 229.6 183.2 -15.3 9.6 
			 2005-06 351.8 101.9 14.2 272.1 247.2 17.5 9.8 
			 2006-07 239.0 189.0 15.7 
		
	
	EA spend is funded from sources additional to DEFRA grant, including levies on LAs, charges and contributions from beneficiaries but only DEFRA initial allocations have been shown in the table. However, the column under EA spend headed Var. indicates the match between overall resources available to the EA and spend in each year, being the difference between spend and income with a negative indicating expenditure less than income for the year. These variances are reflected in changes in the balances of funds carried forward by EA from one year to the next. Prior to 2004-05 the primary EA income sources were grant from DEFRA for specific projects and levies on LAs. Both forms of funding were largely replaced by grant in aid from DEFRA from 2004-05 onwards.
	The revenue/capital split of DEFRA initial allocations for EA in 2004-05 and 2005-06 as shown was based on a narrow definition of capital spend, restricted to spend creating fixed assets in accounting terms. They understate the actual amount allocated by DEFRA for capital improvement measures. The definition to be used from 2006-07 onwards will better reflect spend on capital projects to construct new and improved defences regardless of whether a capital asset has been created in accounting terms. The figures for EA capital spend in the table use the latter definition in all years.
	The table does not include DEFRA funding for LA capital coast protection projects which protect against coastal erosion and also often provide significant benefits in terms of reducing flood risk from the sea. In 2006-07 a higher proportion of capital funding than in 2005-06 was directed to LA coast protection projects in accordance with the DEFRA priority scoring system with a commensurate reduction in capital funding for the Environment Agency in 2006-07.
	Local authorities incur further revenue spend on levies to EA and IDBs and their own spend and much of this is supported by the Department for Communities and Local Government but not shown in the table.

Flooding

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) capital and  (b) revenue expenditure on flood and coastal defences from (i) his Department and (ii) the Environment Agency there has been in each year from 1997-98; and what the forecast level of such expenditure is for 2007-08.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA has overall policy responsibility for flood and coastal erosion risk management in England, funds most of the Environment Agency's (EA) flood related work and grant aids individual capital improvement projects undertaken by local authorities (LAs) and internal drainage boards (IDBs). The programme to manage risk is driven by these operating authorities; DEFRA does not carry out works, nor direct the authorities on which specific projects to undertake.
	The following table shows:
	(i) DEFRA funding to LAs and IDBs for capital improvement projects to manage flood and coastal erosion risk (direct grant and, for LAs prior to 2006-07, a mixture of direct grant and Supported Capital Expenditure (Revenue))
	(ii) spend by the EA in England on measures to manage flood risk, including expenditure on new and improved defences, maintenance, flood warning, flood risk mapping etcetera. Some EA spend is funded from sources other than DEFRA Grant in Aid.
	
		
			   million 
			   (i) DEFRA funding to LAs/IDBs  (ii) Environment Agency spend 
			   Capital  Capital  Revenue 
			 1997-98 37.9 127.3 124.0 
			 1998-99 39.2 112.9 131.0 
			 1999-2000 37.4 116.5 141.2 
			 2000-01 24.7 112.2 154.9 
			 2001-02 26.7 135.5 167.3 
			 2002-03 48.7 164.9 168.8 
			 2003-04 49.0 172.4 183.3 
			 2004-05 45.8 176.0 220.6 
			 2005-06 73.4 242.6 267.1 
			 2006-07 (forecast) 84.4 208.0 260.0 
		
	
	I hope to announce allocations for 2007-08 shortly.

Flooding

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the risk of flooding in Oxford in winter 2006-07.

Ian Pearson: The Environment Agency monitors rainfall and river flows and issues flood warnings when appropriate. The likelihood of flooding in the Oxford area is dependant on the amount of rain that falls in the Thames catchment, the intensity of this rain, and how wet the ground is before the rain starts falling. Obviously all these factors can vary considerably through the winter and it is not possible to accurately forecast the weather more than five days ahead. While the flow in the Thames through Oxford is normal for this time of the year, this situation can change as it did in the winter of 2002-03 when more than 100 properties were flooded.
	The agency is evaluating options for a major flood risk management scheme for Oxford. Recent projects to raise awareness of flood risk in Oxford include advertising in local papers and radio stations, and house to house visits in at risk areas.

Flooding

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure additional flood defences for Shrewsbury.

Ian Pearson: Since the floods in 2000, some 9 million has been spent on flood defence work in Shrewsbury. The Environment Agency (EA) is currently developing a scheme to defend the Abbey Foregate area of Shrewsbury. The funding for this scheme will be derived from a combination of developer and local levy funding. The timing of delivery of the scheme will depend on allocation of local levy funding, prioritised across the Midlands.
	As part of a partnership group in Shrewsbury, the EA, Severn Trent Water, Shropshire county council, and Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council are planning the Coton Hill temporary defence scheme by summer/autumn 2007. Trials and on going discussions have proved very successful, and have identified some complex issues to be addressed across all agencies before the scheme can be implemented.
	The EA has commissioned the new Flood Warnings Direct system, superseding the flood wardens system in Shrewsbury, and is planning to implement an innovative flood zoning policy with Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council.

Forestry

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what plans his Department has to increase new planting of forestry in the UK; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much new planting of forest he expects the Government to complete by 2010; and what targets he has set;
	(3)  whether he plans to revise his targets for the new planting of forestry following the revision of the English and Scottish forestry strategies;
	(4)  what his targets are for the new planting of forest within the UK for the next five years; and what targets he has for each species of tree;
	(5)  what steps he plans to take to deliver the new targets for woodland habitat creation.

Barry Gardiner: My Department is responsible for woodlands in England only. At present, there are no specific targets for woodland creation in England. We have started to revise the England Forestry Strategy, and we are consulting on new proposals. Delivery of national priorities set out in the new Strategy (which we expect to publish next year), will result in an increase in overall woodland cover. However, we are still considering what an appropriate level of increase should be.
	The area of new woodland created comes mainly from Forestry Commission grant aid planting, as well as planting by the Commission on the public forest estate. In addition a small area is planted each year without grant aid. A breakdown by tree species is not available.

Forestry

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of EU-wide comparisons of forestry cover; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The most recent EU-wide comparisons of forestry cover are contained in the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation's Global Forest Resource Assessment 2005. This data is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Country  Forest as percentage of land cover 
			 Austria 47 
			 Belgium 22 
			 Cyprus 19 
			 Czech Republic 34 
			 Denmark 12 
			 Estonia 54 
			 Finland 74 
			 France 28 
			 Germany 32 
			 Greece 29 
			 Hungary 21 
			 Ireland 10 
			 Italy 34 
			 Latvia 47 
			 Lithuania 33 
			 Luxembourg 34 
			 Malta 1 
			 Netherlands 11 
			 Poland 30 
			 Portugal 41 
			 Slovakia 40 
			 Slovenia 63 
			 Spain 36 
			 Sweden 67 
			 United Kingdom 12

Forestry

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what plans he has to increase woodland cover in the UK as part of the EU Forest Action Plan; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what his Department's budget is for the UK's role in delivering the EU Forest Action Plan;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with other Government Departments regarding the EU Forest Action Plan.

Barry Gardiner: The EU Forest Action Plan was developed to help with the co-ordination of Community actions and the forest policies of individual member states by providing a better, more integrated framework. The Forestry Commission has lead responsibility within the UK.
	Annual work programmes to facilitate delivery are not yet prepared or agreed in Brussels and the UK is not in a position to give any detailed information at present. However, the action plan does not set an optimum target for woodland cover.
	Other Government Departments and the devolved administrations have been closely involved in the development of the action plan, and discussions have taken place through the International Forestry Group.

Foxes

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) powers and  (b) duties local authorities have to control urban foxes.

Barry Gardiner: There is no statutory duty on local authorities or anyone else to control foxes in their areas. In so far as local authorities are owners and occupiers of property, they have the same powers to control foxes as any other owner or occupier. In practice, many councils provide advice to householders in their area on managing and deterring the presence of foxes.
	The means used to alleviate problems are at the discretion of the owner or occupier, provided that steps taken are humane and do not contravene current legislation, such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, and the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986. Currently we have no plans to change this policy.
	Strategies to reduce fox problems would usually involve non-lethal methods such as preventing access to food sources, improving protection for pets, or the use of repellents. If foxes are to be killed in an urban area we would recommend that this is done by a professional pest controller who would usually use cage trapping followed by humane killing.
	An advisory leaflet that describes a number of different approaches that are suitable in urban situations is available from the DEFRA website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/rds/publications/technical/TAN_08.pdf

Foxes

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken by his Department to control urban foxes.

Barry Gardiner: It has been the policy of this and previous Governments that responsibility for managing fox problems, whether in urban or rural areas, should rest with those who benefit from mitigation measures, that is individual landowners and occupiers. The means used to alleviate problems are at the discretion of the owner or occupier, provided that steps taken are humane and do not contravene current legislation, such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, and the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986. Currently we have no plans to change this policy.
	Strategies to reduce fox problems would usually involve non-lethal methods such as preventing access to food sources, improving protection for pets, or the use of repellents. If foxes are to be killed in an urban area we would recommend that this is done by a professional pest controller who would usually use cage trapping followed by humane killing.
	An advisory leaflet that describes a number of different approaches that are suitable in urban situations is available from the DEFRA website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/rds/publications/technical/TAN_08.pdf

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to publish his Department's gender equality scheme.

Barry Gardiner: DEFRA's gender equality scheme will be published by 30 April 2007.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to carry out gender impact assessments of his Department's major policy developments and new legislation.

Barry Gardiner: In addressing the forthcoming gender equality duties, DEFRA will continue to place a requirement upon all its business areas to carry out initial equality impact assessments on all its policies, processes and services. Where gender impacts are identified through the initial screening process, a full assessment will then be undertaken.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that  (a) his Department and  (b) the non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies for which he is responsible are taking steps to meet the requirements of the forthcoming duty on public bodies (i) to end unlawful discrimination and harassment and (ii) to promote equality between women and men.

Barry Gardiner: The Department has developed a draft Joint Equality Scheme to address the requirements of equalities legislation. In order to take steps to meet the requirements of the forthcoming duty, DEFRA's Joint Scheme which currently addresses both disability and race legislation, will now be focused on the new Gender Equality Duties. Work arising from this new legislation will be incorporated into the Department's Joint Equality scheme.
	This Scheme will cover core-DEFRA and those of its Executive Agencies who have elected to be included. NDPBs are set up by statute and are independent of the Department. Although DEFRA will provide guidance and advice on equality legislation it does not hold direct responsibility for them in meeting the requirements of the forthcoming duty.
	DEFRA already has established policies to address unlawful discrimination, bullying and harassment within the Department together with an Equal Opportunities policy that covers actions to promote equality between men and women.
	The Department will incorporate all its current policies relating to Gender equality legislation into its Joint Equality Scheme.

Genetic Modification

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has invested in research on  (a) genetic modification and  (b) marker assisted selection technologies for use in agriculture since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA carries out an extensive programme of research on risk management of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The objectives of this programme are:
	(i) to support the operation of the regulations and development of policy on the release of GMOs;
	(ii) to identify, assess and mitigate the hazards and risks to the environment from the release of GMOs.
	Since 2001, when DEFRA was formed, we have invested 14.76 million in this programme and sponsored 69 research projects in which genetic marker technology has been utilised.

Genetically Modified Crops

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's policy is when determining applications for  (a) field testing and  (b) commercial growing of a genetically modified crop containing terminator technology.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 30 November 2006
	Decisions on the release of all genetically modified (GM) crops for either field testing or commercial use are governed by legislation adopted at EU level. This requires decisions to be based on a case-by-case assessment of potential risks to human health and the environment, in line with the scientific evidence. We take a precautionary approach and will only agree to a GM release if we are fully satisfied that it is safe.

Genetically Modified Crops

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from Paul Lasok and Rebecca Haynes on behalf of the Soil Association on the proposals of the co-existence of GM conventional and organic crops in England.

Ian Pearson: We have received a legal opinion by Paul Lasok and Rebecca Haynes in response to the recent consultation on proposed coexistence measures. We are now analysing all the consultation responses and will publish a summary of these on the DEFRA website in due course.

Hosepipe Ban

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria his Department will use when assessing the effectiveness of the 2006 hosepipe ban in the South East.

Ian Pearson: Water companies impose hosepipe bans under their own powers and in accordance with the trigger mechanisms in their drought plans which determine the appropriate time to take action to reduce demand. Drought plans exist to ensure that water companies can fulfil their statutory duties to supply adequate quantities of wholesome water during drought periods with as little recourse as possible to drought orders.
	The Environment Agency has reported in Drought prospects 2006August update that restrictions on demand and appeals to save water this year resulted in demand between 5 and 15 per cent. lower than at the same time in 2005. It is reasonable to assume that this level of demand saving arose largely from the hosepipe bans imposed in much of south-east England.

Hunting Act

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will introduce legislation to amend the Hunting Act 2004  (a) to repeal provisions which allow mammals to be chased by dogs then (i) shot and (ii) hunted by a bird of prey and  (b) to ban chasing mammals with dogs.

Barry Gardiner: The Government have no plans to amend the Hunting Act 2004. We are satisfied with the operation of the Act, which bans all hunting of wild mammals with dogs, apart from in accordance with the tightly-drawn exemptions.

Lyons Review

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many jobs in his Department have been relocated  (a) to Liverpool and  (b) elsewhere as a result of the Lyons Review; and on how many occasions Liverpool has been considered for the relocation of staff under this programme.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 27 November 2006
	The information is as follows.
	 (a) No jobs from DEFRA have been relocated to Liverpool
	 (b) 134 posts were relocated from London and the South East by the end of the 2005-06 financial year, as reported in the 2006 annual departmental report. The breakdown of the locations to which these posts were relocated is as follows:
	
		
			  Location  Number of posts 
			 York 25 
			 Worcester 29 
			 Alnwick, Northumberland 7 
			 Workington, Cumbria 50 
			 Newcastle 13 
			 Various local rural offices 10 
			 Total 134 
		
	
	Further progress will be published in he departmental autumn report on 15 December 2006.
	It is not possible to say how many times Liverpool has been considered for relocations under this programme

Milk

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the chairman of the Office of Fair Trading to discuss the price paid by supermarkets for milk.

Barry Gardiner: Competition concerns in the dairy sector and supermarkets relations with their suppliers were the subject of discussion when Lord Bach met with the chairman and chief executive of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on 9 February this year. Competition concerns were also discussed when the chief executive of the OFT attended a meeting of the Dairy Supply Chain Forum, chaired by Lord Rooker, on 19 July.
	Supermarkets' relations with their suppliers is one of the issues that the Competition Commission is looking at as part of its investigation into the grocery market. On 2 June, Lord Rooker wrote to the Commission to suggest that it also considers the impact of supermarket buyer power on the long term viability of suppliers.

National Parks

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department funds projects to encourage people from ethnic minority groups to visit national parks.

Barry Gardiner: The Department does not fund such projects directly. However, National Park Authorities will use part of the National Park Grant, which they receive from DEFRA, to take forward this work. In addition, Natural England have previously assisted the Council for National Parks Mosaic Project which aims to open up opportunities for ethnic minority communities to enjoy National Parks.

Orang-utans

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of natural habitat loss on the orang-utan population of Borneo.

Barry Gardiner: We have not made a formal assessment but the UK Government is the single largest Government donor to the Great Apes Survival Project (GRASP); we have contributed over 600,000 since 2001. GRASP aims to bring world-wide attention to the ape crisis, raise funds for conservation, and develop a global conservation strategy for all great ape populations.
	In October, EU agriculture ministers finalised new legislation on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT). This will allow the EU to enter into agreements with developing countries to provide them with assistance to tackle illegal logging. In the case of Borneo, FLEGT could play an important long-term role in helping to mitigate the impact of deforestation on the orang-utan population.

Parliamentary Questions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has a traffic light system in place for processing parliamentary questions, where questions are categorised using a colour code.

Barry Gardiner: No. All parliamentary questions (PQs) are treated as a priority. Last session the Department received just under 7,000 PQs. No answers remained outstanding when Parliament prorogued.

Poverty

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures he is putting in place in response to the Commission for Rural Communities' recent report on poverty in rural England and Wales.

Barry Gardiner: The recent report from the Commission for Rural Communities sets out the evidence base on rural disadvantage. This supports the priorities for action report published in June 2006. As I said at the launch of the main report, I welcome this first major output from the Commission for Rural Communities. It demonstrates clear early action on its mandate to act as a watchdog and advocate for rural people and communities, especially those suffering disadvantage.
	The reports consolidate a range of issues around income poverty, access to services and social capital that have been part of the rural policy agenda for some time. The Government as a whole are working to tackle disadvantage and promote equality of opportunity. It is now possible to analyse some of the Government's indicators of poverty in Opportunity for All, using the rural definition. I am pleased to see that poverty in rural areas is decreasing for all age groups and at rates that are comparable to, or better than, in urban areas.
	Social justice for all is a key objective of DEFRA's Rural Strategy 2004 and we work with other Government Departments to mainstream the rural agenda into national policies.

Protection of Animals Act

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many successful prosecutions have been brought under the Protection of Animals Act 1911 in the last 30 years; and how many such prosecutions were in relation to the use of fireworks.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 22 November 2006
	I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested, taken from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform showing the number of defendants found guilty at all courts for cruelty to animals under the Protection of Animals Act 1911, in England and Wales for the years 1980-2005 are provided in the following table. Data at this level of detail for years prior to 1980 are not available. It is not possible to identify which convictions were related to fireworks as the individual circumstances of these offences are not centrally collected.
	
		
			  Number of defendants prosecuted at magistrates courts and convicted at all courts under the Protection of Animals Act, 1911 England and Wales, 1980-2005( 1) 
			  Code 108/02  Convictions 
			 1980 720 
			 1981 719 
			 1982 728 
			 1983 747 
			 1984 764 
			 1985 848 
			 1986 875 
			 1987 889 
			 1988 877 
			 1989 895 
			 1990 968 
			 1991 862 
			 1992 926 
			 1993 861 
			 1994 731 
			 1995 754 
			 1996 764 
			 1997 867 
			 1998 889 
			 1999 828 
			 2000 861 
			 2001 754 
			 2002 768 
			 2003 783 
			 2004 787 
			 2005 843 
			 (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: RDSOffice for Criminal Justice Reform.

Ragwort

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure councils deal with the spread of ragwort in Shropshire.

Barry Gardiner: Earlier this year, I wrote to the Highways Agency, Network Rail and the Local Government Association reminding them of the need to control injurious weeds on their land.
	The Code of Practice on how to prevent the spread of Ragwort and Guidance on disposal options for Common Ragwort, provide comprehensive guidance on how to develop a strategic and more cost-effective approach to weed control. It is intended for use by all landowners and occupiers, but is particularly relevant for large-scale organisations managing significant land areas, including local authorities and public bodies. Further information, including the Code of Practice, is available on the DEFRA website at
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/horses/topics/ragwort.htm.
	Under the Ragwort Control Act, the Code will be admissible in enforcement proceedings under the Weeds Act, which will make it easier to prosecute those who disregard the need to control Ragwort. Similarly, those who have followed the guidance laid down in the Code, would be able to use this in their defence in any court proceedings.

Ragwort

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that councils in Oxfordshire deal with the spread of ragwort.

Barry Gardiner: Earlier this year, I wrote to the Highways Agency, Network Rail and the Local Government Association reminding them of the need to control injurious weeds on their land. I understand that Oxfordshire county council in particular is usually very active in the control of ragwort and takes its responsibilities for weed control seriously.
	The Code of Practice on how to prevent the spread of Ragwort and Guidance on disposal options for Common Ragwort, provide comprehensive guidance on how to develop a strategic and more cost-effective approach to weed control. It is intended for use by all landowners and occupiers, but is particularly relevant for large-scale organisations managing significant land areas, including local authorities and public bodies. Further information, including the Code of Practice, is available on the DEFRA website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/horses/topics/ragwort.htm.
	Under the Ragwort Control Act, the Code will be admissible in enforcement proceedings under the Weeds Act, which will make it easier to prosecute those who disregard the need to control ragwort. Similarly, those who have followed the guidance laid down in the code, would be able to use this in their defence in any court proceedings.

Rainfall

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what average rainfall was in the Staffordshire area in each of the last 20 years.

Ian Pearson: The following table shows the annual rainfall in Staffordshire for each year from 1986 to 2005 inclusive.
	
		
			   Rainfall (mm) 
			 1986 852.2 
			 1987 804.7 
			 1988 817.3 
			 1989 717.7 
			 1990 725.0 
			 1991 632.9 
			 1992 853.5 
			 1993 813.5 
			 1994 858.4 
			 1995 644.5 
			 1996 606.4 
			 1997 759.4 
			 1998 899.6 
			 1999 957.5 
			 2000 1034.0 
			 2001 810.2 
			 2002 905.7 
			 2003 655.5 
			 2004 884.3 
			 2005 727.2

Recycling

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the percentage of plastic bags which is recycled.

Ben Bradshaw: The UK currently recycles or recovers approximately 19 per cent. of all plastics consumed. No separate estimate has been made for plastic bags, which make up less than 1 per cent. of the household waste stream.
	DEFRA and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) are working with retailers to reduce the consumption of plastic carrier bags and promote the message of reuse to the public.

River Thames

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the running costs were of the two bubbler boats used to oxygenate the Thames in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what environmental criteria are used to trigger the use of bubbler boats to oxygenate the Thames; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 30 November 2006
	The Thames estuary oxygenation vessels are operated and paid for by Thames Water on instruction from the Environment Agency (EA) London environment management team. The running costs of these vessels are therefore a matter for Thames Water.
	The vessels are typically called out in response to reduced estuary dissolved oxygen levels caused by the breakdown of storm sewage (foul sewage and rainwater) discharged from the combined sewer overflows. This action is necessary to prevent environmental damage, with the most visible evidence being in the form of fish kills. Fish kills start to occur at dissolved oxygen levels below 20 per cent. saturation. Normal dissolved oxygen levels are over 70 per cent. in winter and over 50 per cent. in summer. The Operating Agreement between the EA and Thames Water specifies that the vessels may be called out when estuary dissolved oxygen levels fall below 30 per cent. saturation.
	Dissolved oxygen levels are continuously monitored using a network of Automatic Water Quality Monitoring Stations along the estuary taking readings at 15-minute intervals. The vessels are used when the responsible EA officer considers that the estuary is at risk. Several criteria influence this judgement including water temperature, rainfall over the London sewerage catchments, freshwater flows to the estuary, tidal state, sewage works performance, recent dissolved oxygen levels and trends in the estuary. The relationship between these factors is complex, and a dynamic assessment is made of each event using real time monitoring, rainfall and flow information, to determine when bubbler boats should be used to oxygenate the Thames.

Single Farm Payments

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints have been received about incorrect single farm payments in the last 12 months.

Barry Gardiner: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) does not separately monitor official complaints made to its Customer Relations Unit that specifically relate to payments.
	Since 1 January 2006, RPA has received 523 official complaints covering all areas of its business.

Single Farm Payments

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the levels of single farm payment (SFP) awards across EU member states; and what steps he is taking to ensure that SFPs in England enable farmers to remain competitive.

Barry Gardiner: I believe all member states who operate the single payment scheme will be striving to ensure 2006 scheme payments are made in full early in the regulatory payment window and, where this is not possible, to consider the case for advance payments. The same applies in England, as explained by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in his statement on 7 November,  Official Report, column 715. However, the level and timing of payments under the SPS only affects the competitiveness of agricultural businesses to the extent that claimants do not treat those payments as fully decoupled from production.

Species Loss

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the loss of species in England in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: One species has become extinct in England since 1995. The starry Breck lichen appears to have been lost from its only site, in Suffolk, probably due to atmospheric pollution and changes in site management. However, the recent England Biodiversity Strategy report has shown that of the 309 Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species in England, 21 per cent. are declining; for example the corn bunting, grey partridge, juniper, heath fritillary and natterjack toad. This decline is slowing for 10 per cent. of species and more priority species are showing improved trends than in both 1999 and 2002.
	The report also shows that 12 per cent. of the BAP species in England are increasing; for example the Adonis blue butterfly, lesser horseshoe bat, otter, field cricket and the cirl bunting.
	Funding for conservation work is critical to the delivery of the objectives of the England Biodiversity Strategy. Over the last five years there has been a significant increase in public sector spending on biodiversity in England. By 2005, expenditure had increased by 54 per cent. compared with 2000.

Sugar Beet Farming (Shrewsbury)

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will provide financial support for sugar beet farmers in the Shrewsbury constituency following the closure of the British sugar factory in Shropshire.

Barry Gardiner: The decision by British Sugar to close their factory at Allscott at the end of the current processing campaign was a purely commercial one. A package of measures to help sugar beet growers adapt to this factory closure has been agreed between British Sugar and the National Farmers Union. It is not the role of Government to interfere in such commercial decisions.
	At a more general level, all eligible sugar beet growers will benefit this year from an additional element in the 2006 Single Payment Scheme, negotiated during the UK Presidency as compensation for the EU sugar reforms.

Treasury Accounting Rules

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when his Department was first advised of the changes in Treasury accounting rules noted by the Minister for Sustainable Food and Farming on 25 October 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 November 2006,  Official Report, column, 1591W.

Voluntary Modulation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what response he has made to the recent EU vote against an early introduction of voluntary modulation; and if he will make a statement

Barry Gardiner: The European Parliament voted on 14 November to reject the draft European Council Voluntary Modulation regulation. This is disappointing. We have always made clear that implementation in England of our plans for the Rural Development Programme 2007-13, including commitments to agri-environment schemes, will depend on the availability of funds derived from voluntary modulation. Therefore, the UK Government hope that the remaining stages of the consultation procedure with the European Parliament on the regulation can be concluded as quickly as possible.

Warm Front

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the maximum grant is which is made available under the Warm Front regime in England; and what assessment he has made of the merits of increasing the maximum available grant.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 30 November 2006
	The original phase of the Warm Front Scheme provided two levels of assistance, with a grant of up to 1,500 for families and the disabled, and up to 2,500 for the over-60s for a range of specified insulation and heating measures.
	The new Scheme, which commenced in June 2005, provides a grant of up to 2,700 for home heating and other energy efficiency measures (4,000 where the work approved includes installation of an oil fired central heating system) for all eligible households. The revised grant levels were established taking account of experience under the first phase of the Warm Front Scheme, alongside the re-tender process for the Warm Front Scheme, which was completed in 2005.
	White Young Green (the independent quality assurors for the Warm Front Scheme) are currently in the information gathering stage of a full Warm Front price review. While this review is looking specifically at prices charged under Warm Front compared to the open market, it will enable consideration to be given to the current grant maxima, and recommendations made for change, if required.

Waste Management

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent growth of British recycling industries.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 30 November 2006
	The recent growth of British recycling markets and facilities is encouraging. It signals our increasing ability to derive value from waste on a domestic level and a move towards more self-sufficiency with regards to waste management.
	As well as encouraging more sustainable resource use, increasing recycling rates helps divert waste from landfill and therefore contributes to our efforts to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. The latest provisional statistics show that recycling and composting rates for household waste in England have reached 27 per cent.this exceeds our 25 per cent. target and is a 4 per cent. increase on the previous year.
	The Government intend to continue their funding of the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to further stimulate domestic markets for recycled materials. One of WRAP's Business Plan targets, to be met by March 2008, is to deliver 10 per cent. sustainable growth in the specialist recycling and reprocessing sector. This is double the forecasted growth of Gross Domestic Product and will be worked towards by helping companies capitalise on opportunities so that recycling is economically viable, as well as environmentally sustainable. WRAP are also working to stimulate domestic markets for recyclate through new collection, processing options and capacity, setting standards for recycled materials, and promoting 'green' procurement.
	DEFRA's Waste Implementation Development Programme (WIDP) was established to accelerate the building of the infrastructure needed to treat residual waste without compromising efforts to minimise waste and increase recycling. Only a combination of these activities will allow us to meet our obligations for biodegradable municipal waste under the Landfill Directive. A number of demonstrator projects are being funded through WIDP to increase processing capacity and increase availability of infrastructure able to process biodegradable waste. We expect that further investment by private companies in reprocessing technologies will follow.

Waste Management

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) weight and  (b) volume of all household waste was diverted to landfill in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 30 November 2006
	Waste is measured by weight rather than by volume. Tonnages of municipal waste sent to landfill in each of the last five years for which statistics are available are provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Weight (Thousand tonnes) 
			 2005-06 17,873 
			 2004-05 19,822 
			 2003-04 20,936 
			 2002-03 22,062 
			 2001-02 22,421 
		
	
	Municipal waste includes household waste and any other wastes collected by a Waste Collection Authority, or its agents.

Waste Management

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Revised Waste Strategy will be published; and what he expects the role of waste minimisation to be in the strategy.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 30 November 2006
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 October 2006,  Official Report, column 910W.
	As it lessens waste production from the outset, waste minimisation is top of the waste hierarchy. The consultation on the Waste Strategy Review carried out earlier this year put forward proposals on the role of waste minimisation and prevention in England. The consultation document is available from the DEFRA website:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/wastestratreview/review-consult.pdf.

Waste Management

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tonnes of household waste intended for landfill were exported to countries in  (a) the EU and  (b) developing countries in the last year for which figures are available; and what the cost was of such exports.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 30 November 2006
	It is illegal to export waste from the UK to other countries other than for its reuse or for recycling. Landfill is a disposal operation, and waste may not be exported from the UK for this purpose.

Waste Management

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of household rubbish in each region is recycled in the last period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The percentage of household waste, which was recycled or composted in each English region in 2005-06, is provided in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Region  Percentage of waste recycled or composted 
			 East 34.1 
			 East Midlands 31.8 
			 South West 31.4 
			 South East 29.2 
			 West Midlands 25.1 
			 North West 23.8 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 21.8 
			 North East 21.1 
			 London 20.7 
			 England 26.7

Waste Management

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Government gave to local authorities to help with recycling schemes in each of the last three years.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 1 November 2006,  Official Report, column 464W.

Water Bills

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average domestic water bill (including sewerage) in England was in each year since 1996-97.

Ian Pearson: Ofwat is the economic regulator for the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales. In December 2004, it set price limits for the period 2005-10.
	The following table sets out the average household water and sewerage bill for all household customers, both metered and unmetered, in England and Wales since 1996-97 (in today's prices). As some water companies' boundaries include customers in both England and Wales average bills tabulated have been provided for both countries.
	Individual bills can be more or less than the average. More information can be found in Ofwat's Water and sewerage charges 2006-07 report which is available on their website at:
	http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/aptrix/ofwat/publish.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/tariff_report06.pdf/$FILE/tariff_report06.pdf.
	
		
			  Average household water and sewerage bill in England and Wales 
			   Amount ()( 1) 
			 1996-97 285 
			 1997-98 286 
			 1998-99 288 
			 1999-2000 291 
			 2000-01 256 
			 2001-02 253 
			 2002-03 254 
			 2003-04 256 
			 2004-05 263 
			 2005-06 286 
			 2006-07 294 
			 (1) Today's prices.  Note: Bills for 2005-06 and 2006-07 are estimates based on provisional and forecast data provided by each company, for the years ending 31 March.

Water/Sewerage Systems

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much  (a) carbon dioxide and  (b) carbon equivalent including other gases was emitted from water treatment and sewerage systems in (i) 1990, (ii) 1997 and (iii) 2005, broken down by sewerage company region.

Ian Pearson: The following table shows the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from treatment of waste water as recorded in the 2004 Greenhouse Gas Inventory. More detailed data showing emissions from each sewerage company region are not yet available.
	
		
			  GHG emissions from treatment of waste water 1990-2005 
			   GHG emissions (million tonnes carbon equivalent) 
			 1990 1.743 
			 1991 1.689 
			 1992 1.773 
			 1993 1.761 
			 1994 1.798 
			 1995 1.774 
			 1996 1.829 
			 1997 1.969 
			 1998 1.975 
			 1999 1.950 
			 2000 1.964 
			 2001 2.006 
			 2002 2.003 
			 2003 2.022 
			 2004 2.009

Whales

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations his Department  (a) has made and  (b) intends to make to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Animals Committee on fin whales in the Central Atlantic.

Barry Gardiner: The Animals Committee to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), has undertaken to conduct a periodic review of the appendix I listing of the central stock of North Atlantic fin whales. DEFRA was not consulted as part of these considerations.
	The aim of the periodic review is to determine whether the listings continue to be appropriate and the species are afforded the correct level of protection.
	Range states of the species selected for periodic review are currently being consulted. The CITES secretariat has requested comments on the need to review the fin whale listing by 31 December 2006. We are currently considering how to respond. As a range state, comments made by the UK will then be passed to the Animals Committee for its consideration.

Whales

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the retention of large whale species on Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Barry Gardiner: The UK Government works closely with other parties in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to ensure that endangered species are protected from the effects of international trade. In line with the International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling, introduced in 1982, all whale species (except the West Greenland population of minke whales) were listed on Appendix I of CITES in 1986. This, in effect, prohibited all commercial trade in whale products. Our policy is to continue to support the current Appendix I CITES listings for whale species.

Woodchip Burners

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage councils to use carbon neutral woodchip burners in council premises.

Ian Pearson: Advice on biomass-derived fuels and associated conversion technologies is available from the Biomass Energy Centre:
	www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk.
	The Centre is supported by the Government and aims to draw together information from existing sources into one easy to use service based around a website and an information inquiry service. Where local authorities wish to install woodchip boilers and/or other renewable forms of energy, they can apply for grants under the Department of Trade and Industry's Low Carbon Buildings programme.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff were employed through employment agencies in  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies in each of the last five years for which information is available; and what the (i) average and (ii) longest time was for which these temporary workers were employed in each year.

Gareth Thomas: DFID periodically engages temporary staff, both administrative and specialist, through employment agencies. The maximum period for which they are engaged is 11 months. DFID does not hold information centrally on all temporary staff and this could be secured only at disproportionate cost.
	From 1 January 2007, DFID will be joining an existing framework arrangement, set up by the Prison Service, for the provision of temporary staff. Once the new arrangements come into force, information on the numbers of temporary staff engaged by DFID, together with the duration of their appointments, will be available from a central source.

Development Assistance

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much development assistance which was not provided to contribute to a reduction in poverty has been provided to British overseas territories in each of the last three financial years under section 2 of the International Development Act 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID expenditure for the Overseas Territories for the last three financial years is:
	
		
			million 
			 2005-06 31.59 
			 2004-05 33.21 
			 2003-04 37.80 
		
	
	This largely comprises budgetary and development aid for the three poorest Territories, St. Helena, Montserrat and Pitcairn. It also includes modest development assistance for Anguilla and Turks and Caicos Islands and emergency assistance for Cayman following hurricane Ivan in 2004. In addition to this bilateral assistance, the expenditure includes support through a number of regional programmes to help all the Overseas Territories address a range of common issues: disaster management, HIV/AIDS, child protection, the environment and governance.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure that private organisations contracted to work  (a) in his Department and  (b) for non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies for which his Department is responsible are aware of their duties under gender equality legislation when exercising public functions on behalf of public bodies.

Gareth Thomas: All DFID contracts include as part of their general conditions the following clauses:
	12. Discrimination
	12.1 The Consultant shall not unlawfully discriminate within the meaning and scope of the provisions of the Race Relations Act 1976, the Sex Discrimination Acts 1975 and 1986, and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (as revised, amended or supplemented from time to time) or as prohibited by the laws of the place of the performance of any of the Services.
	12.2 The Consultant shall take all reasonable steps to secure that the Consultant's Personnel do not unlawfully discriminate as set out in Clause 12.1.
	Additionally, our Invitation to Tender instructions detail DFID values including our commitment to diversity, and state that we wish to work with suppliers who embrace these values and demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility.
	From 6 April 2007, private sector organisations, when carrying out functions of a public nature on behalf of public authorities, will be required to comply with the general gender equality duty which is to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and harassment and promote equality of opportunity between women and men. We will refer to the Equal Opportunity Commission's (EOC) Code of Practice of the Gender Equality Duty and any further EOC guidance when available.

Genetically Modified Crops

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the implications for developing countries of genetically modified crops containing terminator technology.

Gareth Thomas: Terminator technology (genetic use restriction technologies or GURTs) involves a wide range of complex issues that are evolving rapidly. While the Government monitor the impact of this technology, DFID has not undertaken an assessment of the impact of a specific genetic use restriction technology in a developing country. As a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UK Government will continue to review research into the possible impact of GURTs. DFID is willing to consider funding assessments of the potential impact of GURTs in developing countries.
	DFID takes genetic modification in crops and foods and its potential impacts on poor people, including small-scale farmers, in developing countries very seriously. Our approach is based on the principle that the health of people and their environment is of primary concern. We consider that biotechnology, including gene technology, if managed responsibly and applied to those crops on which the poor rely, has the potential to make a contribution to development and poverty reduction.
	Recognising that there are both potential benefits and risks associated with gene technologies and GM crops, developing countries should be able to make their own informed choices. To this end, DFID has worked with DEFRA, other HMG Departments and the international community to establish the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, under the CBD. The protocol adopts a strong precautionary approach and aims to ensure that countries are provided with the information necessary to make informed decisions before agreeing to the import of genetically modified organisms. It also facilitates the exchange of information on living modified organisms and assists countries in the implementation of the protocol.

HIV/AIDS

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he plans to take in response to the recent joint United Nations and World Health Organisation report on HIV; and what representations he plans to make to those countries which have seen the greatest recent  (a) increase and  (b) decrease in cases of HIV.

Gareth Thomas: The recent UNAIDS/WHO AIDS epidemic update report (December 2006) describes the challenge that we face in reversing the spread ofHIV. Some 39.5 million people are living with HIV,4.3 million were newly infected and 2.9 million people died from AIDS in 2006. There is evidence of declines in HIV prevalence in some countries in sub-Saharan Africa, but of marked increases in HIV prevalence in East and Central Asia, and in Eastern Europe.
	The difference in prevalence trends within countries and regions underlines the importance of supporting country-specific responses to HIV. This is why DFID works closely with national Governments and with multilateral and bilateral partners to support country-led HIV responses. For example, in Zimbabwe, where prevalence rates have fallen, DFID has recently committed 20 million over four years to broaden the delivery of HIV treatment services to currently unserved areas, and a further 25 million over five years to keep up prevention efforts, including to increase access to family planning services. In the Ukraine, where annual HIV diagnoses have more than doubled since 2000, and where the epidemic is concentrated primarily in most-at-risk populations, DFID is implementing projects that focus on men who have sex with men and assist in the national implementation of harm reduction interventions for injecting drug users.
	We will continue to work to support the prioritiesset out by countries, within the context of a comprehensive response to AIDS, as set out in Taking Action: the UK's strategy for tackling HIV and AIDS in the developing world. This commits 1.5 billion between 2005 and 2008 to support AIDS-related activities, of which 150 million will be used to meet the needs of children affected by AIDS. We also continue to work towards achieving the target of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010.

HIV/AIDS

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the  (a) availability of and  (b) access to(i) Kaletra and (ii) Viread in (A) sub-Saharan Africa, (B) Central Asia and (C) Latin America; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Access to the antiretroviralmedications Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) and Viread (tenofovir) continues to be restricted even though both products are recommended in the World Health Organisation's 2006 guidelines on adult antiretroviral treatment in resource-limited settings.
	A heat stable version of Kaletra, branded as Aluvia to prevent product diversion, awaits registration in sub-Saharan African countries. Aluvia was licensed in the European Union this year. The manufacturer (Abbott) has stated that EU approval is required before the drug can be registered by regulatory agencies in sub-Saharan Africa.
	Aluvia will be offered at $500 a year in Africa and other least-developed countries and at $2,200 in central Asia, Ukraine, India, Pakistan, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and China. It will also be offered at $2,200 in Central and Latin America (excluding Argentina, Costa Rica, Chile, Panama, Uruguay and Venezuela). No Caribbean country apart from Jamaica is currently eligible for a discounted price.
	Aluvia has also been submitted for registration in South Africa. The registration status of Aluvia in least-developed countries remains unclear, although the manufacturer states that licence applications have been made in an unspecified number of countries.
	According to the World Health Organisation, Kaletra was registered in 49 of the 114 countries eligible for discounted prices in October 2006.
	Delays in registration and a lack of capacity on the part of the manufacturer have restricted the availability of Viread in all regions. A licensing applicationfor Viread was submitted to the South African Medicines Control Council by its manufacturer Gilead Sciences in November 2005. Viread was registered in only 13 of the 97 countries designated as eligible by Gilead in June 2006.
	Gilead has now concluded voluntary licensing agreements with five Indian manufacturers that will allow the drug to be produced at lower prices and exported to sub-Saharan Africa and other least- developed countries (including all central Asian states except Kazakhstan) and to the Caribbean and Central America (excluding El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama), and to Guyana, Surinam and Bolivia in Latin America. The current price set for these countries is $200 a year.
	The Department for International Development will continue to work with the pharmaceutical industry to achieve greater transparency in pricing and greater standardisation of pricing offers to low and middle-income countries. Where products are not patented or registered by the patent holder, there is no obstacle to the registration of generic versions of those products, and import of such generic versions does not require the importing Government to issue a compulsory licence.

Latin America

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid was given to countries in Latin America in each year since 2000, broken down by country.

Gareth Thomas: DFID bilateral aid for Latin America since 2000-01 is shown in the table:
	
		
			   
			  Destination name  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Argentine Republic 7,567 248 
			 Bolivia 7,509,130 12,455,178 9,267,954 7,056,854 5,401,807 3,103,179 
			 Brazil 6,519,084 6,863,875 9,917,080 6,910,154 5,027,700 2,387,322 
			 Chile 8 95,688 145,359 351,152 436,715 790,121 
			 Colombia 1,730,155 933,784 600,043 350,886 541,016 381,918 
			 Costa Rica 182,649 115,527 70,200 121,541 17,057 5,957 
			 Cuba 223,184 345,880 484,514 153,626 184,296 -10,044 
			 Ecuador 540,702 275,016 363,430 192,595 158,797 217,204 
			 El Salvador 1,820,249 430,527 338,025 106,956 74,627 5,493 
			 Guatemala 318,577 419,549 289,340 236,938 196,060 85,483 
			 Haiti 60,562 130,395 125,165 129,747 2,027,103 1,282,616 
			 Honduras 1,373,493 1,219,649 1,180,571 910,066 959,736 1,301,741 
			 Mexico 1,538,577 511,800 560,844 70,791 96,871 12,186 
			 Nicaragua 636,107 612,847 1,386,098 1,292,542 2,592,966 4,160,450 
			 Panama 233,543 154,872 34,908
			 Paraguay 178,888 93,626 65,728  4,860 2,772 
			 Peru 4,158,829 7,998,299 3,225,252 2,807,442 3,990,316 1,603,963 
			 Venezuela 36,311  
			 Total 27,067,615 32,656,757 28,054,511 20,691,292 21,709,927 15,330,360 
		
	
	This information, as well as details of aid from other UK official sources, is available in Table 12.2 of the Statistics on International Development (SID) report. SID can be accessed under the publications section of the DFID website.
	In addition to bilateral aid, the UK makes contributions to the EC, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. Multilateral shares are reported by calendar year, and the latest information available is for 2004. A breakdown of the UK's contributions by country are given as follows.
	
		
			   million 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 Costa Rica 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.9 
			 Cuba 1.2 1.7 0.7 0.5 0.7 
			 El Salvador 2.3 2.0 2.0 2.5 2.4 
			 Guatemala 3.4 2.6 3.7 2.5 2.7 
			 Haiti 2.1 2.6 1.6 1.0 4.8 
			 Honduras 5.9 8.1 1.8 10.4 6.9 
			 Mexico 1.0 3.0 1.2 1.0 1.9 
			 Nicaragua 9.2 8.6 3.3 12.5 8.0 
			 Panama 0.6 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.9 
			 Argentine Republic 3.3 15.7 0.6 0.6 1.0 
			 Bolivia 7.9 10.6 0.8 14.4 5.6 
			 Brazil 8.9 14.2 7.6 6.8 6.1 
			 Chile 1.0 1.2 0.4 0.8 1.8 
			 Columbia 2.4 2.1 1.8 2.5 4.6 
			 Ecuador 1.2 0.8 1.1 1.3 1.8 
			 Paraguay 0.8 1.0 1.0 0.4 0.6 
			 Peru 4.0 3.1 2.3 3.5 2.2 
			 Uruguay 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.4 1.1 
			 Venezuela 1.5 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.5 
			 Totals 57.4 79.3 31.7 62.7 55.5

Latin America

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the Department's offices in Latin America will be maintained; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID plans to maintain its Latin American offices during the current spending review period. Any decisions about office arrangements beyond 2008-09 in Latin America and elsewhere will be taken in the context of the Comprehensive Spending Review next year.

Latin America

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether bilateral aid to Latin America will continue in its existing  (a) form and  (b) scale over the next three years.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's only bilateral country programme in Latin America is for Nicaraguathe only low-income country on the continent. The programme budget for Nicaragua is 4 million in each of the years 2006-07 and 2007-08. Decisions about the form and scale of the Nicaraguan programme from 2008-09 will be taken in the context of the Comprehensive Spending Review next year.

Latin America

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the level of funding allocated to Latin American countries in 2006-07 will be maintained; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID currently has plans to allocate 8 million in 2006-07 and 2007-08 to the Latin American regional programme, and 4 million per year to the bilateral programme in Nicaragua. Decisions about funding allocations to Latin American countries from 2008-09 will be taken in the context of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Palestinian Territories

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding has been provided by  (a) the UK Government and  (b) other members of the Quartet to the Palestinian Territories through the Temporary International Mechanism in each month since its establishment.

Hilary Benn: The UK has so far contributed9 million to the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM). Three million pounds was provided in August 2006 for the purchase of health supplies, 3 million was paid in allowances to the poorest PA workers in November 2006 and 3 million was provided for essential operating, maintenance and repair costs for water, sanitation and electricity services in November 2006. Substantial funding through the TIM has also been provided by the European Community and EU member states. Other Quartet members have not yet contributed.
	In total, approximately 117 million in EU funding is expected to be disbursed through the TIM by the end of 2006. Monthly expenditure through the TIM for the period between July and October 2006 was as follows:
	
		
			   million 
			   Non-salary recurrent costs  Emergency relief  Social allowances  Total 
			 July  0.625  0.625 
			 August  0.625 4.3 4.925 
			 September  6.125 31.7 37.825 
			 October 2.6 0.625 19.2 22.425

Palestinian Territories

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the possibility that tax moneys currently withheld by Israel could be paid to the Palestinians through the Temporary International Mechanism.

Hilary Benn: So far Israel has not paid outstanding Palestinian clearance revenues through the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM). According to International Monetary Fund reporting Israel has used some clearance revenues to pay Palestinian utility bills owed to Israeli state companies. We understand that this was agreed to by the Palestinian authorities. Israel has also offered to use the Palestinian clearance revenues to procure health supplies. However, we understand that this was not accepted by the Palestinian presidency, as it objected to Israel dictating how its revenues were spent.

Palestinian Territories

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with Quartet partners on increasing the levels of funding through the Temporary International Mechanism to match the levels of previous direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority.

Hilary Benn: The Quartet (the EU, US, UN and Russia) agreed on 20 September to continue and expand the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) in the light of the continuing needs of the Palestinian people.
	Total EU funding through the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) now significantly exceeds levels of previous direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority. Total budgetary aid to the Palestinian Authority in 2005 was around 65 million. Aid for Palestinian basic needs through the TIM will reach around 117 million this year.
	The TIM is making a real impact in mitigating the humanitarian situation. Largely because of increased aid levels, the World Bank has revised its 2006 GDP forecast from a decline of 26 per cent. to a decline of9 per cent. Without the TIM and other aid, notably from Arab donors, the situation for Palestinians would be far worse than it is now.

Palestinian Territories

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the likely duration of the Temporary International Mechanism; and when he expects full financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority to be resumed.

Hilary Benn: The Quartet, in its statement of20 September, extended the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) until the end of 2006. Should a Palestinian Government with a platform based onthe Quartet's principles be formed, the EU and other donors are likely to seek to resume financial assistance as soon as possible. In the meantime the humanitarian case for direct assistance to the Palestinian people remains and there is a need for mechanisms to deliver this, such as the TIM. A decision on whether further to extend the TIM is likely before the end of the year.

Parliamentary Questions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has a traffic light system in place for processing parliamentary questions, where questions are categorised using a colour code.

Hilary Benn: DFID does not use a traffic light system for processing parliamentary questions. We always aim to reply to all questions within one working week.

Sri Lanka

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of the closure of the A9 road to Jaffna on the delivery of food aid in Sri Lanka; and what representations he has made regarding reopening the road.

Gareth Thomas: The British Government have followed developments closely since the A9 road to Jaffna closed in mid August. British officials visited Jaffna in October and November to see at first hand the impact of the road closures. We maintain close contact with those with a presence in Jaffna peninsula. There are food shortages and rising food prices. The UK will continue to monitor the situation closely.
	The British High Commissioner in Sri Lanka has raised with the Government the need to ensure that sufficient supplies reach the people of Jaffna. We fully support the statement by the co-chairs of the peace process (EU, Japan, Norway, US) that there should be an immediate, permanent and unconditional opening of the sea and road routes for humanitarian convoys of essential supplies.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Domestic Violence

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what action she is taking to ensure a more integrated and strategic approach to tackling domestic violence.

Meg Munn: The Government have developed an integrated and strategic approach to this issue, at the heart of which is the Inter-Ministerial Group on Domestic Violence, of which I am a member.
	As an Inter-Ministerial Group, which brings together a wide range of Departments, we provide high-level leadership and accountability to drive this important work forward, and oversee the development of the National Delivery Plan, which has provided a clear framework for delivery across Government in a joined-up and strategic way.
	The Plan underpins the Specialist Domestic Violence Court Programme, which has been designed to address the high attrition rates for domestic violence by bringing more offenders to justice, and putting the safety of victims at the heart of the process. We have also strengthened measures to help victims by rolling out Independent Domestic Violence Advisers across all specialist domestic violence courts and have allocated funding to all areas to provide extra support.

Domestic Violence

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on improving the services offered to women seeking refuge from domestic violence.

Meg Munn: As Minister for Women and Equality, I sit on the Inter-Ministerial Group for Domestic Violence, which performance-manages the cross-Government National Domestic Violence Delivery Plan by reviewing progress at quarterly meetings. This is the mechanism for improving the services offered to women seeking refuge from domestic violence nationally.
	A substantially revised domestic violence Best Value Performance Indicator for local authorities will help assess overall provision and effectiveness of local authority services designed to help victims of domestic violence.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Al Qaeda

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the EC flight ban on members of Al Qaeda, amended Council Regulation (EC) 467/2001; and how many UK citizens have been identified and prevented from travelling under this regulation.

Kim Howells: Council Regulation (EC) 467/2001 strengthened the EC ban on flights to and from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, in fulfilment of UN Security Council Resolution 1333. The ban related to airlines rather than individuals, so it is impossible to quantify the number of individuals who might have been affected. Council Regulation (EC) 467/2001 was repealed in 2003, in fulfilment of UN Security Council Resolution 1390, which terminated the flight ban.

Bangladesh

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the level of unrest related to the general elections in Bangladesh; what action her Department is taking  (a) to support the UN Envoy to that country and  (b) to ensure that the elections are free and fair; and which (i) UK and (ii) international observers she expects to be present at those elections.

Kim Howells: Elections are scheduled for January 2007 in Bangladesh. It is vital for the future of Bangladesh that these elections are seen to be free, fair and peaceful, and that the result reflects the will of the people. We are concerned about the levels of political violence in the country. My right hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield, the Minister for Trade, stressed to political leaders and the media the importance of positive issue-based dialogue and campaigning to the exclusion of violence when he visited Dhaka on 22-23 November. Through the Department for International Development we are providing support to Bangladeshi non-governmental organisations working to promote non-violence, and issue-based campaigning. We have urged the political parties to demonstrate leadership by publicly calling for peace and restraint.
	We take a close interest in preparations for elections and stand ready to help where we can. International observers will have an important role to play in validating the outcome of the elections.
	We fully support the efforts of the international partners including the UN, the EU, the US National Democratic Institute and the Commonwealth to this end. The Commonwealth and the EU have both announced that they will send election observation missions to Bangladesh. The UK expects to participate in the EU observation mission.

Burma

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the statement by United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari to the Security Council following his visit to Burma; what steps she is taking to support  (a) the release of political prisoners,  (b) humanitarian access,  (c) a more inclusive political process and  (d) cessation of hostilities against ethnic minorities in Burma; and what representations she has made to (i) HM ambassador to the United Nations and (ii) foreign Ministries overseas on securing a response from the Burmese Government to the concerns of the international community.

Ian McCartney: Ibrahim Gambari, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, briefed the UN Security Council on 27 November about his visit to Burma. I also discussed the visit with Mr. Gambarion 15 November. We welcome the report of Mr. Gambari's visit and his continuing efforts to promote peaceful political change and the full respect for international human rights and humanitarian law in Burma. We agree with his assessment that the Government of Burma must show tangible progress on the issues of concern.
	Our permanent representative to the United Nations, Emyr Jones Parry, played a full and active part in the subsequent discussion in the UN Security Council on 27 November. Ambassador Jones Parry called for the release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi; unhindered access for humanitarian aid agencies; a credible and inclusive national convention process; the cessation of attacks on the Karen and other ethnic groups and co-operation with the International Labour Organisation.
	We shall continue to work with our partners in the Security Council, EU and the international community to persuade the Government of Burma to respond urgently to these concerns.

Civil Nuclear Power

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Governments of  (a) United Arab Emirates,  (b) Yemen,  (c) Turkey,  (d) Egypt,  (e) Morocco,  (f) Algeria and  (g) Saudi Arabia on the development of civil nuclear power generation.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with the Governments referred to by my right hon. Friend in regard to development of civil nuclear power generation. However, British Government officials are in regular contact on a broad range of energy issues with Governments in the middle east and North Africa.

Civil War

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what definition her Department uses of civil war; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has not adopted a particular definition of 'civil war'.
	International humanitarian law distinguishes between international armed conflicts and non-international armed conflicts, but contains no definition of these terms. Whether an armed conflict can be said to exist in a particular situation is essentially a question of fact depending on the surrounding circumstances. However, guidance for assessing whether a non-international armed conflict exists can be found in Additional Protocol II to the Geneva Conventions, which deals with the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts. Protocol II applies to conflicts between the forces of a state and
	dissident armed forces or other organised armed groups which, under responsible command, exercise control over part of the state's territory to enable them to carry out a sustained and concerted military operations.
	The Protocol adds that
	situations of internal disturbances and tensions, such as riots, isolated and sporadic acts of violence and other acts of a similar nature
	do not constitute armed conflict.
	A number of definitions of conflict, including of civil war, have been proposed by academics, usually as the basis for statistical analysis of the incidence and effect of conflicts. We have made some use of statistics based on particular definitions of conflict, for example in relation to the 2002 Public Service Agreementfor the joint FCO-Ministry of Defence-Department for International Development Conflict Prevention Pools. Measurement of success in delivering this Public Service Agreement was based on data produced by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, both of which use a definition of 'major armed conflict' referring to the use of armed force resulting in more than 1,000 battle-related deaths in a year. These statistical measurements were found to be unhelpful in determining the success of policies within the Conflict Prevention Pools and were not carried over into the 2004 Public Service Agreement.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has received on the discovery by a United Nations human rights team of a mass grave in an army camp in eastern Ituri district in the Democratic Republic of Congo; what steps the UK is taking to aid the military prosecutors in their investigations; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: Our embassy in Kinshasa has been in touch with the MONUC UN peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) team who are investigating the discovery of three mass graves in Ituri district, eastern DRC. Our mission in New York is also in touch with the UN Department for Peacekeeping Operations. MONUC's investigations are at an early stage and ongoing.
	MONUC is providing logistical support to Congolese military prosecutors to aid their investigations. Two people have already been arrested in connection with these deaths. We will urge the Congolese political and military authorities to ensure that full investigations and prosecutions can be carried out.

Departmental Staff

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what percentage of staff employed in her Department were registered disabled in each year since 2001.

Geoff Hoon: Data on the disabled status of civil servants, for the years requested, are available on the civil service website. The latest available data are, at April 2005, together with previous years' data, found at the following website addresses:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/publications/xls/report_2005/table_p.xls
	for data as at April 2005;
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/publications/xls/disability_apr04_4nov04.xls
	for data as at April 2004; and
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/archive/index.asp
	for previous reporting periods.
	Declaration of a disability is voluntary.
	Although figures for 2006 are yet to be published, figures produced internally by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for 1 April 2006 record 186 staff who have declared a disability. This represents 3 per cent. of the FCO workforce.

Departmental Staff

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in encouraging applications for jobs in her Department from the widest possible range of backgrounds.

Geoff Hoon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is committed to employing a diverse workforce which fully reflects the society it serves. To achieve this, we have adopted a more extensive recruitment outreach strategy during 2006, which has included attending large-scale national careers events; taking part in community business events; hosting an annual in-house careers open day; and operating a range of work experience schemes.
	This new strategy has lead to a substantial increase in applications at Bands Al (administrative assistant) and B3 (executive officer). Recruitment campaigns are staged throughout the year but recent recruitment statistics show that applications at both levels have more than doubled during the course of the period.
	
		
			   Applications received 
			  Al  
			 September 2005 632 
			 October 2006 1,351 
			   
			  B3  
			 January 2006 2,152 
			 October 2006 5,344 
		
	
	The FCO plans to build on this in 2007 by increasing the number of work experience places from 45 to 68 and by expanding the number of in-house careers events from one to three per year.

Food Intervention Stocks

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which organisations received supplies of food from intervention stocks under Commission Regulation 1539/2006 in the last year for which data are available.

Barry Gardiner: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK withdrew from the scheme in 1996 and we do not hold the information requested.

India

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had recently with the Indian High Commissioner on strengthening commercial, cultural and educational links between the United Kingdom and India; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is in regular contact with the Indian High Commissioner and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed these and other issues with the Prime Minister of India and other Indian Government Ministers during her visit to India in November and during the UK India summit in London in October.
	Commercial, cultural and educational links play a crucial role in maintaining and developing the bilateral relationship. Strengthening these links will also play a key role in pushing forward the economic growth of both the UK and India.

Indian Subcontinent

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many spouses and fianc(e)s from each of the countries of the Indian sub continent were given entry clearance to the UK in each year between 2000 and 2005.

Kim Howells: The information requested by the hon. Member is set out in the following table. UKvisas cannot produce relevant statistics for 2000 and 2001 owing to insufficient data from the UKvisas Central Referencing System.
	
		
			  Spouse and fianc(e) visas issued between 2002 to 2005 in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal 
			  Calendar year  Wives  Husbands  Fianc(e) 
			  India
			 2002 2,537 987 368 
			 2003 2,618 1,080 361 
			 2004 2,763 1,458 421 
			 2005 3,208 1,622 454 
			 
			  Pakistan
			 2002 3,766 3,005 254 
			 2003 5,046 3,647 162 
			 2004 4,897 3,412 217 
			 2005 5,121 3,487 245 
			 
			  Bangladesh
			 2002 1,565 1,063 6 
			 2003 1,859 1,225 6 
			 2004 1,114 721 4 
			 2005 2,129 1,525 26 
			 
			  Sri Lanka
			 2002 567 49 16 
			 2003 739 89 13 
			 2004 856 113 11 
			 2005 768 127 11 
			 
			  Nepal
			 2002 71 20 4 
			 2003 53 9 0 
			 2004 75 20 1 
			 2005 88 21 16 
			  Source:  2002-03 Central Referencing System 29 November 2006 2004-05 MSR screen on CRS

Kashmir

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the death of Sohail Faisal on the peace process in Kashmir.

Kim Howells: Following the death of Sohail Faisal, I have seen Indian media reports suggesting that he was involved in exploring ways to call a militant ceasefire in Kashmir. I cannot comment on the accuracy of these reports.
	The Government welcome all efforts aimed at establishing sustainable peace in Kashmir.

Kimberley Process Plenary Meeting

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether UK officials attended the recent Kimberley Process Plenary meeting; and what assessment she has made of the outcome of the meeting.

Ian McCartney: Botswana hosted this year's Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) plenary meeting on 6-9 November. Representatives of the 47 participants and observers from industry and civil society attended. The Manager of the Government Diamond Office (GDO), represented the UK. The GDO is a section within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
	The principal outcomes of the Plenary were as follows:
	acceptance that there might be credible indications that Ghana had not complied with its Kimberly Process (KP) obligations. It must take immediate steps to ensure its internal controls are fully compliant. A report must be made to the KP Chair by 15 January 2007 on their progress in this, and a KP review mission will take place in Ghana by 28 February 2007 to assess the level of compliance of internal controls (Mali is not a participant in the KP);
	agreement to a request that Venezuela ask for a review visit from the Working Group on Monitoring by the end of 2006 to consider the level of compliance of internal controls; and
	election of India as Vice-Chair for 2007, becoming Chair in 2008.
	The Government consider that this was a very successful plenary meeting, which concluded in an optimistic atmosphere of strong co-operation between Government, business and civil society. The decisions on Ghana and Venezuela demonstrate the seriousness with which the KPCS takes allegations of non-compliance, and that we will work to address any problem areas.

Kosovo

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the decision by United Nations special envoy Martti Ahtisaari to delay his recommendations on Kosovo's future until after the Serbian elections; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: My right hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoon), the Minister for Europe, released a statement, supporting United Nations Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari's decision to present his proposals to the parties without delay after parliamentary elections in Serbia, shortly after that decision was announced. I will place a copy in the Library of the House and will also send a copy to the right hon. Member.

Maldives

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make representations to the Maldives authorities about the policing of peaceful protests; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: I refer my hon. Friend to the answers my right hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield(Mr. McCartney), the Minister for Trade, gave to the hon. Member for South-West Devon (Mr. Streeter) on 21 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 61-62W.

Marie-Thrse Nlandu Mpolo-Nene

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports her Department has received on the treatment of Marie-Thrse Nlandu Mpolo-Nene by the Congolese authorities.

Ian McCartney: We are concerned by the continued detention of Marie Thrse Nlandu since her arreston charges of illegal possession of weapons on21 November and are actively seeking more information on her detention and treatment. Our ambassador in Kinshasa has spoken to the Interior Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo and advisers to President Kabila regarding her detention. We have already outlined our concerns over allegations that Mrs. Nlandu's human rights, particularly her access to legal representation, have not been respected. We understand that European partners have also raised their concerns.

Middle East

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of  (a) Palestinians and  (b) Israelis who have died since September 2006 as a result of the conflict in the middle east.

Kim Howells: Between 1 September and 15 November, we have reports that 191 Palestinians and two Israelis were killed in conflict-related violence.

Middle East

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether her Department has held discussions in the EU on  (a) construction of the wall in the Palestine village of Al-Walajah and  (b) making representations to the Israeli Government.

Kim Howells: We have held no discussions inthe EU on the construction of the barrier around Al-Walajah. We remain concerned at the routing of the barrier around Al-Walajah, just as we are concerned about the routing of the barrier elsewhere in the west bank. We, along with the EU, have stressed to the Israeli Government that the barrier should be built on or behind the green line, not on occupied territory.

NATO

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her policy is on the future role of NATO; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 27 November 2006,  Official Report, column 477W to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd).

Non-proliferation Conferences

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which international conferences relating to non-proliferation  (a) the UK and  (b) the European Community has participated in the Caribbean since 2001.

Kim Howells: The UK has not participated in any major international conferences in the Caribbean relating to non-proliferation since 2001. However, UK officials have attended a number of regional meetings, seminars and workshops.
	We have consulted officials of the European Commission and the European Council Secretariat and they have informed us that they are not aware of any EU official representation at any conferences in the Caribbean relating to non-proliferation since 2001.

Non-proliferation Treaty

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to her answer of 21 November 2006,  Official Report, column 63W, on the non-proliferation treaty, if she will make it her policy to support Dr. Hans Blix's proposals calling for a world summit to discuss nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction as outlined in the report Weapons of Terror; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: While there is always scope to consider improvements in the effectiveness and efficiency of multilateral forums, 2006 has seen significant improvements in the disarmament machinery. The UN Disarmament Commission met for the first time since 2003 and the Conference on Disarmament has seen some of the most constructive dialogue in recent years. More effort should be placed on encouraging these recent, positive developments. It is unclear what a further summit could add and whether there would be more likelihood of agreed language on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation issues than was seen during the 2005 UN Millennium Review Summit or the 2005 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.

Non-proliferation Treaty

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to her answer of 21 November 2006,  Official Report, column 63W, on the non-proliferation treaty, what multilateral initiatives the Government are pursuing to achieve  (a) mutual,  (b) balanced and  (c) reliable reductions in nuclear weapons; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Our current priority is to push for negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty, without pre-conditions, at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. We view this as the next appropriate step towards achieving the goal of nuclear disarmament. We continue to press for the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, ratified by the UK in 1998. In addition to work on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and current preparations for the next NPT review cycle, we continue to participate actively in the Norwegian-led Seven Country Initiative on disarmament and non-proliferation. Through our engagement with this initiative, we hope to broaden understanding of positions on disarmament and non-proliferation and look for areas of consensus that will further the non-proliferation and disarmament agenda.

Non-proliferation Treaty

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to her answer of 21 November 2006,  Official Report, column 63W, on the non-proliferation treaty, if she will make it her policy  (a) to support and  (b) to advance the draft Nuclear Weapons Convention which was deposited with the United Nations several years ago; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Government consider the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime and the framework for nuclear disarmament. The UK has an excellent record in implementing its disarmament obligations under Article VI of the NPT and, in this regard, continues to press for multilateral negotiations towards mutual, balanced and verifiable reductions in nuclear weapons. The Government do not support any new process, including a Nuclear Weapons Convention, which could risk cutting across the existing NPT regime.

Occupied Territories

Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what records are kept by the British consulate-general in Jerusalem on the refusal of visa permits to British nationals wishing to visit the Occupied Territories.

Kim Howells: When a British national informs the consulate-general in Jerusalem that they have been refused entry to Israel or the Occupied Territories a record is kept on file in the consular section. The Israeli authorities do not inform the consulate-general when a British national is refused entry into Israel or the Occupied Territories.

Poppy Eradication

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2006, to question Ref 106094, on poppy eradication, what proportion of the 21.25 million paid to the Afghan Government has been received by farmers.

Kim Howells: The Afghan Interim Administration said that farmers would be paid US$1,250 per hectare for eradicated crops. We understand from the Afghan authorities that an estimated total of 17,000 hectares of poppy was eradicated under the 2002 programme.It was the responsibility of the Afghan Interim Administration to implement the programme and to make payments to farmers.

Rwanda

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the investigation by the Rwandan Government into France's relationship with Juvnal Habyarimana's regime in Rwanda.

Ian McCartney: The Rwandan Government have set up an independent commission to examine France's role in the genocide of 1994. As the report of the commission has not yet been published, it is too early to comment on the findings and conclusions of the commission.

Rwanda

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of  (a) the effect of issuing arrest warrants for nine associates of the Rwandan President and  (b) the breaking of diplomatic ties with France on Rwandan relations with (i) the UK, (ii) France, (iii) other EU member states and (iv) the African Union.

Ian McCartney: French judicial authorities have called for the issue of arrest warrants for nine associates of President Kagame. The French Government have said that this is an independent legal investigation and that they do not wish it to affect diplomatic relations. However, the Rwandan Government have decided to sever diplomatic tieswith France. The French Government have voiced disappointment at Rwanda's decision.
	Belgium is the only EU member state to comment publicly, maintaining that this would not change Belgium's bilateral relationship with Rwanda, as it is a French legal matter. The African Union has not commented.
	We do not expect the issue of arrest warrants to affect the UK's relationship with Rwanda. These warrants are a matter between the French judiciary and the Rwandan Government. We hope that diplomatic relations between France and Rwanda will soon be re-established.
	The UK has built a close relationship with Rwanda over the past 10 years. The UK is now a major donor to Rwanda. UK bilateral development assistance is around 46 million per year.

Six Party Talks

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the ongoing negotiations between China, the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; and when she expects the Six Party Talks to resume.

Ian McCartney: The Chinese, US and North Korean Six Party Talks representatives held trilateral talks in Beijing on 26 November. China reaffirmed its desire to see the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, and called on all sides to use the opportunity of these meetings to deepen mutual understanding and create conditions for a return to the talks. The date of the talks is still under negotiation.
	The US is focusing on laying the groundwork fora productive next round of talks, including making concrete steps toward implementation of the September 2005 Joint Statement.

Somalia

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the proposal by the African Union Peace and Security Council to the United Nations Security Council which seeks to deploy a training and protection mission for the Somalia transitional federal institutions; what discussions she has had with  (a) the British ambassador to the United Nations and  (b) others on the proposal; whether she supports the proposal; and what steps she is taking to promote peace and stability in Somalia.

Ian McCartney: The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), with the support of the African Union and the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia, has proposed to the United Nations a peace support operation. The UK Mission to the United Nations is considering with partners on the Security Council how this might contribute to peace and stability in Somalia and encourage a resumption of dialogue between the Transitional Federal Government and the Union of Islamic Courts. My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary have discussed the situation with partners and regional interlocutors. Our mission in New York and our posts in the region are working actively to avert further conflict.

Sri Lanka

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the breakdown of peace talks between the Sri Lankan Government and the Tamil Tigers in Geneva on the future stability of Sri Lanka; what assessment she has made of the factors which led to the breakdown; and what steps the Government are taking to assist the peace process in Sri Lanka.

Kim Howells: The failure of the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to make progress on the peace process in Geneva in October is a missed opportunity. While both sides recommitted themselves to the Ceasefire Agreement, hostilities continue and innocent civilians are too often the victims of the conflict. This continuing loss of life is tragic and unnecessary. We urge both sides to cease hostilities and to demonstrate their respect for the Ceasefire Agreement by their actions.
	We understand that the demand of the LTTE for the re-opening of the A9 road, closed by the Sri Lankan Government during recent hostilities, was a block to progress on this occasion. The A9 is the main north-south route on the island.
	We regularly discuss the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement with the Government of Sri Lanka, and when we are able to, with political representatives of the LTTE. Most recently, my right hon. Friend the Member for Torfaen (Mr. Murphy), accompanied by a senior official of the Northern Ireland Office, visited Sri Lanka from 14-16 November to talk with participants in the peace process, including the Sri Lankan Government, and the LTTE about the UK's experiences with Northern Ireland which we hope will be of help to Sri Lankans in the pursuit of peace.
	We continue to urge the parties to the conflict to create an atmosphere for constructive discussions to further the peace process. Negotiation is the only viable route to a sustainable resolution of the conflict. We maintain our close contact with and full support for the Norwegian Government and their facilitation of the peace process.

Sri Lanka

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has received from the British-Tamil community on the conflict in Sri Lanka.

Kim Howells: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, North (Jeremy Corbyn) on 27 November 2006,  Official Report, column 482W.

Sri Lanka

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her European counterparts on securing a peaceful settlement in Sri Lanka.

Kim Howells: As one of the Tokyo co-chairs, the EU has an important part to play in assisting Norway in its role as facilitator of the peace process. The EU has encouraged the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to meet their obligations under the Ceasefire Agreement and to create an atmosphere for constructive discussions to further the peace process. In Brussels and Colombo, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have discussed the Sri Lankan conflict with EU partners and jointly with them made clear to both parties to the conflict that the only viable way to a peaceful resolution of the conflict is for both sides to negotiate, with a view to working constructively towards a settlement that addresses the grievances and legitimate aspirations of all Sri Lankans.

Sri Lanka

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the recent statements by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on the ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

Kim Howells: We do not agree with the view expressed in the recent statement by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Prabhakaran, that the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement has become defunct. We call on both sides to fulfil their existing commitments as restated by them in Geneva in October, to uphold the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement and to demonstrate this by their actions. We fully support the work of Norwegian facilitators to achieve peace in Sri Lanka.

Zimbabwean Beef

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with other Governments on targeted sanctions on Zimbabwean beef.

Ian McCartney: There are no targeted sanctions on Zimbabwean beef, or indeed any other form of economic sanctions. The EU's Common Position, agreed on 18 February 2002 and extended annually since then, consists of an arms embargo and a travel ban and assets freeze on Mugabe and 125 people who have been involved in activities which seriously undermine democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law.

WALES

China

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will initiate discussions with the Chinese ambassador on the prospects for the establishment of a Chinese consulate in Cardiff; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: I am happy to raise this with the Chinese ambassador. I visited China in April 2004 and will continue to work in partnership with the National Assembly for Wales to promote Wales on the international stage.

Departmental Staff

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) marketing officers,  (b) communications officers and  (c) press officers are employed in his Department; and what the total expenditure on communications for his Department was on (i) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (ii) other (A) press officers, (B) special advisers and (C) staff in the last year for which figures are available.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office press and communications office has three staff covering all aspects of communications for the Wales Office.These staff are members of the Government Communications Network which replaced Government Information and Communication Service (GICS) in 2005. The total salary cost for these is 181,332.
	We have two special advisers who advise and support Ministers in accordance with the code of conduct for special advisers and both they and other staff spend some of their time on communications matters,but identifying that expenditure would entail disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many temporary employees were contracted to work for his Department in 2005-06; and what the total cost of such employees was in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 1997-98.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office employed a total of eight temporary staff throughout 2005-06 at a cost of 91,923.26. The Wales Office was not in existence in 1997-98.

Engagements

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on which dates in the last month he  (a) attended his Department's offices (i) in London and (ii) in Cardiff,  (b) dealt with departmental business (i) in the House and (ii) elsewhere and  (c) undertook other engagements in his official capacity.

Peter Hain: I attended Gwydyr House in London on 2, 9, 16 and 23 November and Discovery House in Cardiff on 6, 20 and 28 November.
	I dealt with departmental business in the House of Commons on 1, 6, 15, 20 and 22 November and elsewhere on all other days of the month.
	I undertook engagements in my official capacity on 3, 4, 10, 12, 24 and 25 November.

Parliamentary Questions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  how many parliamentary written questions his Office received in each parliamentary Session since 2001; and how many of these questions  (a) were not answered because of disproportionate cost,  (b) were not answered,  (c) received answers referring back to a previous answer (i) asked by the hon. Member and (ii) asked by another hon. Member and (d) were grouped together for answer;
	(2)  what target his Office has for the maximum acceptable amount of time to answer parliamentary written questions; and what percentage of parliamentary answers met that target in each parliamentary Session since 2001.

Peter Hain: This information could not be made available without disproportionate costs being incurred.
	My Department targets answering ordinary written questions within five parliamentary sitting days of receipt of the question. Named-day questions are answered on the date specified by the Member of Parliament tabling the question.

Procurement Projects

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the 20 largest procurement projects initiated by his Department since May 1997 were; what the  (a) original budget,  (b) cost to date and  (c) consultancy fees were; and what the final cost was of each project which has been completed.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office was established in July 1999, and has not undertaken any procurement projects in that time.

Recruitment Advertising

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on recruitment advertising in each of the last three years.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office has spent the following sums on recruitment advertising:
	
		
			
			 2004-05 0 
			 2005-06 0 
			 2006-07 (1)17,000 
			 (1) Just over, so far, in the current financial year.

Special Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many of his Department's civil servants work full-time to support departmental special advisers; and what the salary is of each such civil servant.

Peter Hain: None.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the  (a) number and  (b) proportion of the Taliban who are (i) reconcilable and (ii) ideological.

Des Browne: There is a small core of the Taliban movement, including most of the senior leadership, who have made it clear they have no intention of reconciling themselves to the Government of President Karzai. We assess that many of those we have faced are locally recruited and they could be persuaded to abandon violence if offered the prospect of better political, social and economic prospects.

Armed Forces Deployment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will list the deployments of armed forces units based in Germany over the last four years; what the name was of each unit deployed; and what the  (a) size,  (b) location and  (c) length was of each deployment;
	(2)  what deployments have been made of units stationed in Germany in each year since 2003; and what the size was of each such deployment.

Adam Ingram: The information is not held centrallyin the format required. Officials are collating this information, and once this has been done, I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Armoured Vehicles

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have been killed in roadside bomb attacks while patrolling in Land Rovers since 2000.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 29 November 2006
	There have been 24 service personnel killed in roadside bomb attacks while patrolling in Land Rovers since 2000 on operations overseas.

Basra Air Station

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the security of military and civilian personnel at Basra Air Station; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 28 November 2006
	We keep the threat to both our military and civilian personnel under continuous review and take all practical measures to ensure their safety and security wherever they are deployed throughout Iraq. Additional protection isand will continue to beprovided as the operational situation requires.

Defence Export Services Organisation

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance with applications to the Export Credits Guarantee Department is given to companies by the Defence Export Services Organisation; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) does not routinely assist companies with applications to the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) and is not a party to agreements reached between companies and the ECGD.
	In some cases, however, DESO may advise companies to consider seeking ECGD support. In addition, where requested by ECGD, DESO provides advice on sales prospects to help inform ECGD's risk assessments and any subsequent discussions with applicants.

Eurofighters

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any of the Eurofighters being sold to Saudi Arabia under the agreement announced in August 2006 are already in production.

Adam Ingram: The negotiations on the supply of Eurofighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia have yet to be concluded. It is therefore too early to specify the destination of production line aircraft.

Flying Hours

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average flying hours of pilots for the Royal Air Force  (a) Hercules C-130,  (b) VC-10,  (c) C-17 Globemaster,  (d) Tristar aircraft and (i) Chinook, (ii) Puma, (iii) Merlin and (iv) Sea King helicopters have been for each month in 2006.

Adam Ingram: The average number of flying hours of Royal Air Force pilots in fixed-wing aircraft of the following type for each complete month in 2006 is:
	
		
			  2006  Hercules C-130  VC-10  C-17 Globemaster  Tristar 
			 January 18 29 33 31 
			 February 19 23 32 34 
			 March 13 28 37 25 
			 April 15 34 34 40 
			 May 19 31 28 41 
			 June 19 25 23 33 
			 July 20 27 34 27 
			 August 22 28 19 50 
			 September 22 29 39 37 
			 October 16 26 47 46 
		
	
	The average number of flying hours of Royal Air Force crews in rotary aircraft of the following type for each complete month in 2006 is:
	
		
			  2006  Chinook  Puma  Merlin  Sea King 
			 January 16 19 33 20 
			 February 17 16 27 19 
			 March 18 24 36 22 
			 April 25 19 38 21 
			 May 23 23 38 20 
			 June 23 23 34 21 
			 July 22 22 33 21 
			 August 17 19 35 21 
			 September 19 22 34 23 
			 October 21 18 30 21 
		
	
	The figures include all flying hours (both operational and non-operational) undertaken by fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. Hours flown in Hercules C130s by RAuxAF pilots, who fly a relatively small number of hours per month, have been excluded from the figures to avoid distorting the averages.

Motorised Vehicle Patrols

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many patrols by motorised vehicles outside protected zones were undertaken by British service personnel in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in each of the last 36 months.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 28 November 2006
	The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Panther Armoured Vehicle

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost has been of procuring the Panther armoured vehicle.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 28 November 2006
	Panther is currently in the demonstration and manufacture phase of procurement. The total procurement cost for this phase of the programme is estimated to be just over 200 million. Prior to this, an assessment phase was conducted which cost in the order of 2 million.

Tanks/Armoured Personnel Vehicles (Germany)

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British  (a) tanks and  (b) armoured personnel vehicles are stationed in Germany; and what the cost of keeping the German-based fleet was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Adam Ingram: The number of British tanks and Armoured Personnel Carriers currently stationed in Germany is 183 Challenger 2 (CR2) and 457 Armoured Personnel Carriers of which 277 are Fighting Vehicle 432 (FV432) and 180 are Warrior 510 (WR510).
	Information on the cost of keeping the German-based tank and armoured personnel carrier fleet isnot held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Trident

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how often  (a) Devonport,  (b) Rosyth,  (c) Aldermaston,  (d) Faslane and  (e) each other site associated with Trident is decontaminated; what his most recent estimate is of the costs of decontamination for each site; and to which environmental standard decontamination cleans the site.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 27 November 2006
	Decontamination of whole sites is not needed or routinely undertaken. Any instance requiring localised decontamination is dealt with as it arises. Standards of decontamination comply with the requirements of the regulators, including the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and the MOD's Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator and Defence Ordnance Safety Group, and are conducted in accordance with the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (RSA93) and Ionising Radiations Regulations (IRR).
	Decontamination costs are included in the nuclear liabilities published in the Department's Annual Report and Accounts. A breakdown of the liabilities was provided in the answer my right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary gave on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 778W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Newport, West (Paul Flynn).

Trident

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the expected lifespan is of the guidance systems and flight control electronics of Trident D5 missiles.

Adam Ingram: I am withholding details about the lifespan of individual sub-systems within the overall Trident missile system as this could prejudice national security and international relations. Obsolescence management programmes are, however, in place to ensure that no single sub-system will limit the life of the overall weapon system.

Trident

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what public consultation is proposed on the replacement of Trident; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the statement today by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

Trident

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what options for the replacement of the Trident nuclear deterrent have been considered by his Department in the preparation of the forthcoming White Paper;
	(2)  what research  (a) is being carried out and  (b) has been commissioned by his Department into non-nuclear alternatives to the Trident nuclear deterrent.

Des Browne: holding answers 30 November 2006
	I refer the right hon. and learned Member to the statement today by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

Trident

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the running costs have been of the strategic nuclear deterrent in each of the past 10 years, broken down by main budget heading.

Des Browne: holding answer 29 November 2006
	Since the Trident nuclear deterrent became operational in 1994, annual expenditure for capital and operating costs, including the costs for the Atomic Weapons Establishment, has ranged between 3 and 5.5 per cent. of the annual defence budget.

Tri-service Management

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Tri-service management of the movement of troops to and from theatre.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 27 November 2006
	The effectiveness of the Tri-service management of the movements of troops to and from theatre is the responsibility of the Permanent Joint Headquarters and is subject to continuous review. We assess the movement of troops into and out of theatre to be working well. This has been demonstrated recently by the successive conduct of reliefs in place of forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are, however, occasional and regrettable delays to the movement of personnel. Every effort will be made to seek to ensure that such events are minimised.

Troop Deployment (Northern Ireland)

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the UK's armed forces are on duty in Northern Ireland.

Adam Ingram: At 15 November the number of armed forces personnel (Navy, Army and RAF) based in Northern Ireland on operational duties under Operation Banner was some 7,700.

Type 45 Destroyers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions his Department has held with  (a) BAE Systems and  (b) VT Group on compensation for reducing the order for Type 45 Destroyers.

Adam Ingram: No decision has been taken to reduce the order of ships and no discussions have taken place with BAE Systems or the VT Group on this topic.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Audiology Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of patients in each health trust area in the Province who will receive digital hearing aids over the next 12 months.

Paul Goggins: The number of patients who will receive digital hearing aids over the next 12 months is estimated to be approximately 10,300(1).
	The breakdown by Board area is set out in the following table.
	(1) This estimate assumes that the factors affecting supply, demand, and fitting of digital hearing aids over the next12 months will be similar to those operating during the quarter ending 31 March 2006.
	
		
			  HSS Board  Approximate number for 12 month period 
			 EHSSB 4,464 
			 NHSSB 1,616 
			 SHSSB 2,232 
			 WHSSB 1,988 
			 Northern Ireland 10,300 
			  Notes: 1. Figures include information on new and existing clients fitted with a digital hearing aid during quarter ending 31 March 2006.  2. Figures do not include information on digital hearing aid replacements issued during the quarter to avoid possible double counting.

Blindness/Visual Impairment

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what services are available in the community to assist residents of North Down and Ards who are blind and visually impaired.

Paul Goggins: Services for residents of North Down and Ards who are blind or visually impaired are provided by the Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust. People with a visual impairment are entitled to an assessment of need for packages of care including home help services.
	There are three rehabilitation workers and a social worker who provide assistance and support, as well asa community development worker employed as partof a Trust/ Royal National Institute of the Blind partnership focused on developing the capacity of local blind people to play an active role in community life.
	During 2005-06, the community development worker worked with over 200 individuals, and provided information and advice to 70 organisations. More than 200 visually impaired people, who previously did not avail themselves of the sight support service, have been engaged.
	Blind and visually impaired people are encouraged to participate in a number of community activities. Computer training is provided and a number of writers' groups, women's groups, parent support groups, social groups and awareness raising groups have been established.

Children/Young People Strategy

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans there are to extend the Green Paper Care Matters: Transforming the Lives of Children and Young People in Care to apply to Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: We endorse the general approach outlined in the Green Paper, which is currently out to consultation. However, it is essential that equivalent proposals for NI reflect need here. On this basis I have instructed officials from the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to draft an NI equivalent paper in conjunction with other Departments and taking account of the views of other stakeholders. It is our intention that this paper will be issued for public consultation before the end of January 2007.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding has been provided for people with chronic fatigue syndrome in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Services available to patients with chronic fatigue syndrome are embedded within other larger services so it is not possible to extract costs.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what services are provided for people with chronic fatigue syndrome on the NHS in the Province.

Paul Goggins: People presenting with chronic fatigue syndrome can expect to receive the full range of assessment, treatment and support services appropriate to their needs from within existing mental health services, community services and other programmes of care. While there are no specifically dedicated services for people presenting solely with chronic fatigue syndrome in the Southern, Northern and Western Health and Social Services Board areas' Eastern Health and Social Services Board employs a senior occupational therapist to work in collaboration with other services, providing clinical care for people experiencing problems.

DHL

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department paid to DHL in each financial year between 1997-98 and 2005-06.

Peter Hain: The Northern Ireland Office, excluding its Agencies and non-departmental public bodies, has paid the following to DHL in each financial year between 1997-98 and 2005-06:
	
		
			   DHL payments () 
			 1997-98 2,301 
			 1998-99 1,012 
			 1999-2000 1,534 
			 2000-01 1,108 
			 2001-02 1,383 
			 2002-03 1,119 
			 2003-04 503 
			 2004-05 (1)1,717 
			 2005-06 (1)4,980 
			 (1) Figures provided for 2004-05 and 2005-06 have been adjusted to exclude DHL costs in relation to the Parades Commission. The Commission's contract with DHL started in 2004-05 in order to distribute Commissioner's Packs and the issuing of Determinations to interested parties. The costs for this service in 2004-05 and 2005-06 were 2,833 and 14,531 respectively.

Elderly Care (Funding)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he plans to change the charging system in Northern Ireland for long-term care for the elderly to avoid the family home of the elderly person concerned having to be sold.

Paul Goggins: There is no legal requirement for those entering long-term care to sell a family home to fund their care. Following an individual financial assessment to calculate how much each individual can afford to pay towards the cost of their care, it is entirely a matter for each individual and their advisers to decide how best to meet any charges. I am not proposing to change the charging system to totally exclude the value of a resident's family home from the assessment of each individual's resources.

Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the timetable is for the implementation of the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006; and if he will delay the introduction of these regulations until April 2007.

David Hanson: The timetable for the implementation of the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 is that they will come into force on 1 January 2007.
	I do not intend to delay the introduction of these regulations until April 2007.

Free Prescriptions

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people who claimed to be entitled to free prescriptions in 2005 were subsequently  (a) found not to be so entitled and (b) successfully prosecuted.

Paul Goggins: It is not possible to provide this information on a calendar year basis. Accordingly, the following information is based on the 2005-06 financial year.
	In respect of  (a) the number of people who claimed to be entitled to free prescriptions and were subsequently found not to be so entitled was 3,202.
	In respect of  (b) 179 individuals were successfully prosecuted.
	The Department remains committed to the continuing reduction of loss of funds due to fraud and theft.

Haemophiliacs

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Northern Ireland how many haemophiliacs in Northern Ireland became infected with  (a) HIV and  (b) hepatitis C in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Information on the number of haemophiliacs in Northern Ireland who have become infected with  (a) HIV and  (b) hepatitis C in each of the last five years is not available.
	However, figures are available on HIV-infected individuals and the probable route of their infection. Over the calendar years 2002 to 2006 (first three quarters) no individual newly diagnosed with HIV had their probable route of infection classed as being via blood/tissue transfer or blood factor.

Health Trusts (Meals)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent by each health trust in the Province in each of the last five years on providing meals on their premises.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is set out in the following table. This includes the amounts spent on food and staff costs on the provision of meals, whether provided for patients or for staff. These are gross costs which do not reflect any income received for these meals.
	
		
			  Cost of providing meals on trust premises 
			  000 
			  Trust  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Altnagelvin Hospitals HSS Trust 1,214 1,251 1,290 1,330 1,371 
			 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 1,238 1,261 1,235 1,357 1,346 
			 Belfast City Hospital Trust 2,694 2,872 2,924 3,077 3,142 
			 Causeway HSS Trust 1,675 1,812 1,949 2,107 2,219 
			 Craigavon Area Hospital Group Trust 1,611 1,680 1,763 1,829 1,984 
			 Craigavon and Banbridge Community HSS Trust 582 596 595 619 646 
			 Down Lisburn HSS Trust 2,242 2,274 2,323 2,487 2,682 
			 Foyle HSS Trust 387 399 411 439 418 
			 Green Park HSS Trust 1,108 1,126 982 976 990 
			 Homefirst Community HSS Trust 2,018 2,038 2,082 2,161 2,211 
			 Mater Infirmorum HSS Trust 557 682 807 772 860 
			 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 1,181 1,270 1,329 1,452 1,545 
			 North and West Belfast HSS Trust 1,021 1,903 1,962 2,032 2,074 
			 Royal Group of Hospitals Trust 1,952 2,353 2,456 2,380 1,204 
			 South and East Belfast HSS Trust 1,308 1,367 1,474 1,571 1,701 
			 Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust 1,822 1,877 1,962 1,970 1,925 
			 Ulster Community and Hospitals HSS Trust 1,701 1,892 2,006 2,069 2,054 
			 United Hospitals HSS Trust 2,753 2,528 2,671 2,791 2,842

Health Trusts (Meals)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent by each health trust in the Province in each of the last five years on importing food from outside Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   
			   Cost of importing food 
			  Trust  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Altnagelvin Hospitals HSS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Belfast City Hospital Trust n/a n/a n/a (1)1,450 (1)20,000 
			 Causeway HSS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Craigavon Area Hospital Group Trust 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Craigavon and Banbridge Community HSS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Down Lisburn HSS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Foyle HSS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Green Park HSS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Homefirst Community HSS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Mater Infirmorum HSS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North and West Belfast HSS Trust n/a n/a n/a n/a (2)185,000 
			 Royal Group of Hospitals Trust 54,371 318,718 487,940 455,327 301,802 
			 South and East Belfast HSS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Ulster Community and Hospitals HSS Trust 0 0 0 0 22,861 
			 United Hospitals HSS Trust (2)1,158 (2)1,037 (2)2,171 (2)4,693 (2)6,401 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Figures are for kosher, hal-al and puree meals not available in Northern Ireland. (2) These figures are estimates for delivery of frozen meals from outside Northern Ireland.

INVEST Northern Ireland

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many jobs INVEST Northern Ireland has created in Belfast, West in each year since April 2002.

Maria Eagle: Invest NI does not directly create jobs. It provides assistance for businesses to improve their competitive position, which in turn may lead to employment creation. The employment change in client businesses is measured on an annual basis and in terms of employment gains or losses. The employment gain in the financial year ended 31 March 2004 was 130; and for the financial year ended 31 March 2005 the gain was 202. This represents a total of 332. However these gains were offset by 737 job losses, resulting in a net employment change of -405 employees over the period.
	In addition, Invest NI assisted 418 business starts through the Northern Ireland Start a Business Programme. These businesses are expected to create 543 new jobs (see Table).
	
		
			  Jobs created through the Northern Ireland Start a Business Programme in Belfast, West, 2002-03 to 2005-06 
			  Financial year  New jobs 
			 2002-03 82 
			 2003-04 117 
			 2004-05 170 
			 2005-06 174 
			 Total 543

Local Government Reorganisation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what the total estimated one-off restructuring costs are for the local government reorganisation in Northern Ireland;
	(2)  what  (a) central and  (b) regional funding the Government is providing to local councils to assist with the costs of the local government reorganisation;
	(3)  if the Government will publish the business case for local government reorganisation in Northern Ireland.

David Cairns: Initial research by consultants to inform decisions in relation to the Review of Public Administration in Northern Ireland, which included the reform of local government, indicated that the costs associated with the reorganisation of local government would range between 47 million and 143 million.
	At this stage no additional funding has been provided by central Government to local councils to assist with the costs of the local government organisation. I am, however, working closely with local government as Chair of the Local Government Taskforce, to develop a more detailed estimate of the costs associated with implementation of the Review of Public Administration's decisions in relation to local government. The business case being developed will be used by Government to inform decisions on any funding to be provided to local government to assist with implementation.
	Consideration will be given to the publication of the business case at a later date.

Mental Health and Learning Disability

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the timetable is for setting up the Mental Health and Learning Disability Taskforce; to whom the taskforce will be accountable; what its terms of reference are; and what its membershipwill be.

Paul Goggins: The Inter-Departmental Taskforce on Mental Health and Learning Disability will be established early next year when the new director of Mental Health and Disability Services is appointed. The Taskforce will be chaired by the new directorof Mental Health and Learning Disability with representation from relevant Government Departments, Health and Social Services and service users and carers and will, in the first instance, be accountable to me as Minister responsible for health, social services and public safety. The Taskforce will co-ordinate Government's response to the Bamford Review recommendations and oversee implementation.

Mental Health and Learning Disability

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding has been earmarked in the Comprehensive Spending Review for the Mental Health and Learning Disability Taskforce.

Paul Goggins: The Comprehensive Spending Review process is not expected to conclude until late 2007. In making bids within this process for developing health and social services, I will be considering the priority to be given to developing mental health and learning disability services.

MRSA

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what mechanisms are in place to monitor the compliance of health service staff with guidance for minimising MRSA;
	(2)  whether checks on health service facilities in relation to implementing guidance on minimising MRSA are carried out without prior warning.

Paul Goggins: It is the responsibility of each health and social services trust to make sure that it monitors performance including staff compliance with guidance for minimising MRSA. The main mechanism for the Department to monitor compliance with guidance for minimising MRSA is the annual reporting by trusts on the Infection Prevention and Control Controls Assurance Standard. Mandatory surveillance of the level of MRSA bacteraemias has been in place since 2002.
	The Department's Changing the Culture action plan of March 2006 on the prevention and control of health care-associated infections requires trusts to produce annual infection reduction plans. A key message of the action plan is that infection prevention and control is the responsibility of everyone concerned. Arrangements for a regional infection control manual, which will detail specific control measures for MRSA and provide a universal set of standards against which compliance might be measured, are also being considered.
	Announced or unannounced external checks on the implementation of guidance are not currently planned.
	Under the ward sisters' charter launched this October, ward sisters will encourage patients and visitors to monitor and report on standards of cleanliness.

Peace Package

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to what extent the funding in the Chancellor's Peace Package represents resources not previously committed to Northern Ireland; from which budget the funds will be drawn; and what the timetable is for spending the money.

David Hanson: The key elements of the package as outlined by the Chancellor relate to the years 2008-09 and beyond. Currently, resource allocations to Northern Ireland, arising from previous Spending Reviews, are only in place up to and including 2007-08, and thus any and all amounts for the years beyond that represent new commitments. The issues of the timetable for spending and the allocation of the resources within the package to specific spending programmes will be a matter for a restored Executive and Assembly.

Post Office Card Accounts

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will assess the merits of allowing the Social Security Agency and benefit recipients to retain Post Office card accounts as a regional facility.

David Hanson: The Post Office card account (POCA) operates as a UK service covering the Department for Work and Pensions, the Social Security Agency and others. It would not be commercially viable for the Social Security Agency to operate the POCA in isolation.

Public Appointments

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which public appointments have been made by his Department to former Ministers who have served in the Government since May 1997.

Peter Hain: None.

Rural Development

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reason the Department for Regional Development (DRD) adopted a policy of 'presumption against growth in the countryside'; and what discussions the DRD has had with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on this policy.

David Cairns: Draft Planning Policy Statement 14 introduced a 'presumption against development' in the countryside, with exceptions. Its purpose is to better manage an accelerating trend of development in the countryside, particularly in the building of single dwellings, in the interests of protecting the environment and encouraging more sustainable rural development patterns, consistent with the Regional Development Strategy 2025.
	The Department for Regional Development held discussions with other Departments, including a number of meetings with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the development of draft PPS 14.

Water NI Ltd.

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether Water NI Ltd will have Crown immunity from prosecution.

David Cairns: With effect from 1 April 2007, the new water and sewerage company, Northern Ireland Water Limited, will not have Crown immunity from prosecution.

Water NI Ltd.

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the remuneration  (a) structure and  (b) arrangements will be made available for staff of Water NI Ltd., and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has written to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	 Letter from Mrs. Katharine Bryan, dated 4 December 2006:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about when the remuneration (a) structure and (b) arrangements will be made available for the staff of Northern Ireland Water Ltd; and if he will make a statement (106438). I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Water Service.
	All employees of Water Service will transfer under the TUPE (transfer of undertakings and (protection of employment) regulations on their existing terms and conditions.
	As part of the Water Reform Programme, proposals on the high level remuneration policy for Northern Ireland Water Ltd have been submitted to the Department for Regional Development (the company's shareholder) for agreement. Implementation and arrangements for remuneration will be a matter for the Board of the new company. The remuneration policy for 2007/8 will be finalised over the next few months.

Water NI Ltd.

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision has been made for funding performance-related payments for the chief executive of the Water Service in 2006-07.

David Cairns: Performance-related payments for the chief executive form part of the paybill of the Water Service which in 2006-07 is funded from the resource budget allocated to it, net of income from customers.

Water NI Ltd.

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has for redundancies at management level within Water NI Ltd.; and whether his proposals will be subject to public consultation.

David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has written to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	 Letter from Mrs. Katharine Bryan, dated 1 December 2006:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about what plans he has for redundancies at management level within Water NI Ltd.; and whether his proposals will be subject to public consultation (106444). I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Water Service.
	An important aspect of the Water Reform agenda is to improve the level of efficiency in the delivery of water and sewerage services and to reduce costs to ensure that charges to customers are kept to a minimum. The number of staff to be retained over the next 3 years at management, and indeed non-management level, will be informed by the funding available to Northern Ireland Water Ltd. Decisions on the implementation of efficiencies will be a matter for the Board of the new company which will assume full powers from 1 April 2007.
	Appropriate consultation on future staffing plans will, of course, be taken forward with the relevant Trade Union groups and if there is a requirement to undergo a period of public consultation in line with Equality Impact Assessment procedures, this will also be taken forward.

Water Pollution

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what penalties may be imposed when a new water company in Northern Ireland is found to have breached EU pollution guidelines.

David Cairns: With effect from 1 April 2007, the new Water Company will be subject to regulation under a range of environmental protection legislation which isin the mainenforced by the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) of DoE which may issue warning letters or enforcement notices or, ultimately, seek prosecution, subject to the final decision of the Public Prosecution Service.
	For a limited period, it is proposed not to initiate criminal prosecutions under the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 where a pollution offence by the water company is solely attributable to the historic under-investment in the infrastructure; but otherwise the penalties available to the Courts under that Order include fines up to a maximum of 20,000 and periods of imprisonment not exceeding two years.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

2012 Olympics

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what liability the Greater London Authority (GLA) will have for higher than expected expenditure on the 2012 Olympics under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding between the GLA and the Government.

Tessa Jowell: The Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Mayor, published in 2003, provides that increases in the cost of the games may be shared, by agreement between the Government and the Mayor.

2012 Olympics

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the estimated financial contribution towards the 2012 Olympics is on London council tax.

Tessa Jowell: The contribution from the London council tax towards the cost of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games is 625 million as set out in the Government's response to A London Olympic Bid for 2012 (HC 268), Report of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee Session 2002-03.
	The 2003 Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Mayor of London provides for cost overruns to be met in a sharing arrangement to be agreed as appropriate between them. It makes no presumptions about the use of council tax. That is a matter for the Mayor.

2012 Olympics

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate the Government have made of their contingent liability arising from their commitment to underwrite the 2012 Olympic games; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 29 November 2006
	The present contingent liability is set out in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's Annual Resource Accounts for 2005-06, which are in the House Library. Any revisions to the contingent liability will be published in the Department for Culture, Media and Sports Annual Resource Accounts for 2006-07. In the meantime, discussions within Government on the appropriate level of contingency are continuing.

2012 Olympics

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what reports have been prepared by consultancy firms on the cost of the 2012 Olympics; which firm produced each report; when each report was produced; and what the cost to the Department was of each report.

Tessa Jowell: The following reports on the cost of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games have been produced by consultants:
	
		
			   Report  Consultants  Cost () 
			 2002 London Olympics 2012, Costs and Benefits ARUP 81,131 
			 2003 London 2012 Costs and Benefits PricewaterhouseCoopers 38,000 
			 2004 Olympic Cost Review PricewaterhouseCoopers 114,080 
			 Total   233,211 
		
	
	In addition to these projects KPMG was commissioned in October 2005 to provide advice on the cost of the Olympic Games. The cost is 1,017,593.

2012 Olympics

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what items of work her Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) undertaken on estimating the cost of a London Olympic Games; what the cost of each project was; what the dates of each project were; and what estimate of costs for the Games was made by each item of work.

Tessa Jowell: The following projects were commissioned by DCMS to estimate the cost of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games:
	
		
			   Project  Consultants  Cost () 
			 2002 Costs and Benefits of the 2012 Olympic Games Arup 190,830 
			 2003 London 2012 Costs and Benefits PricewaterhouseCoopers 38,000 
			 2004 Olympic Cost Review PricewaterhouseCoopers 114,080 
			 2005-06 Olympic Cost Advice KPMG 1,017,593 
			 Total   1,360,503 
		
	
	The first three of these projects informedthe estimate of costs that was submitted to the International Olympic Committee in 2004 in the London 2012 Candidate File. This document is available on the London 2012 website. The work undertaken by KPMG will inform the Olympic Delivery Authority's corporate plan, which will be published next year.

Art Exports

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department has spent on administering the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			   Expenditure ( million) 
			 1996-97 0.016 
			 1997-98 0.016 
			 1998-99 0.017 
			 1999-2000 0.018 
			 2000-01 0.020 
			 2001-02 0.020 
			 2002-03 (1)0.135 
			 2003-04 (1)0.213 
			 2004-05 (1) 
			 (1 )In 2002-03 the method of calculation of administrative costs changed to include the cost of staff supporting the Committee. (2) Disaggregated figure not available. 
		
	
	From April 2005 the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council took over administration of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA). The administration costs are included within their overall Grant in Aid.

Art Provenance

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to require art institutions to check the legitimate provenance of items they propose to borrow from overseas for temporary exhibitions; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: The immunity provided for in the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill will apply only to items brought to the UK for public display in a temporary exhibition held at an approved museum or gallery. I will only approve those museums and galleries for the purpose of these provisions if they are able to satisfy me that they follow appropriate due diligence procedures, including checks of the provenance of items they propose to borrow. They will be expectedto follow the principles in the Combating Illicit Trade:Due Diligence guidelines for museums, libraries and archives on collecting and borrowing cultural material, published by my Department.

Art Theft

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill on the ability of victims of art theft to recover their stolen property if the item is on loan to UK institutions for a temporary exhibition from overseas; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: I have carefully considered the potential impact of the Tribunals, Court and Enforcement Bill on the ability of victims of art theft to recover their property. Only the museums which I have approved will be able to arrange exhibitions of objects benefiting from the immunity provided for in the Bill. A museum can only expect to be approved if it follows appropriate due diligence procedures, including checks on the provenance of works of art it is planning to exhibit. These procedures will help to ensure that any item of dubious origin would be excluded from temporary exhibitions. Our museums are committed to ensuring that they do not exhibit stolen property, and I am confident that these provisions will not adversely affect victims of art theft.

Art Theft

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will assess the merits of requiring institutions borrowing art works from overseas for public temporary exhibitions in the UK to publish a list of those items in advance so as to enable victims of  (a) spoliation and  (b) art theft to make an assessment of whether such items are rightfully theirs; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: This is an issue we have looked at in framing our proposals on immunity from seizure in the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill. The Bill has been introduced in the House of Lords and willbe subject to the usual parliamentary scrutiny. The Government will listen very carefully to all points made in the debates on these provisions and will consider whether they will achieve an appropriate balance between the interests of British museums and galleries and the interests of claimants to stolen property. We will be considering the merits of requiring museums and galleries to publish a list of the items they intend to borrow in advance of the exhibition.

Art Theft

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the likely effects of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill on the Government's commitment to right historic wrongs in terms of spoliation between 1938 and 1945; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: The Government remain committed to correcting the terrible injustices suffered by those who lost cultural objects at the hands of the Nazis. The immunity from seizure proposed in the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill will not apply to any works which are usually kept within the UK, or which are owned by someone ordinarily resident in the UK. Objects in the permanent collections of UK museums will be unaffected by the proposals in the Bill. Claims can still be made against them and referred to the Spoliation Advisory Panel at the request of the claimant. By contributing to the mobility of collections, immunity from seizure legislation can increase information available on the whereabouts of particular works of art, assisting claimants to make claims in the appropriate jurisdiction.

Art Theft

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will bring forward measures to empower national museums and galleries to return stolen or looted artworks to their lawful owners; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: My Department has issued a consultation paper on the restitution of objects spoliated during the Nazi era. The consultation asks whether it would be appropriate to remove the current statutory restrictions to allow museums to restitute works of art in their collections which were lost during the Nazi era. The consultation has now ended and we are considering the responses and next steps.

Art Theft

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many items have been identified as looted art by the Spoliation Advisory Panel since it was established; how many of these have been  (a) returned to their original owners and  (b) the subject of offers of compensation; what the (i) names and (ii) descriptions of these works of art are; and in which institutions they are held.

David Lammy: The Spoliation Advisory Panel has so far identified seven items as spoliated between 1933 and 1945. None of the items have thus far been returned to their original owners, though negotiations are under way to return one on a long-term loan. Ex-gratia payments have been made in respect of six of the items.
	The items identified as spoliated and the institutions in which they are held are:
	A View of Hampton Court Palace by Jan Griffier the Elder, which is in the possession of the Tate;
	Still Life attributed to Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin. The painting is part of the Burrell Collection;
	The Beneventan Missal currently in the possession of the British Library; and
	The Holy Family by Niccolo dell'Abbate; An Allegory on Poetic Inspiration with Mercury and Apollo, by Nicholas Blakey; Virgin and Infant Christ, adored by St. Elizabeth and the Infant St. John by Martin Johann Schmidt andSt. Dorothy with the Christ Child by School of Martin Schoengauer are in the possession of the British Museum.
	Copies of the Panel's reports are available in the House of Commons Library and on the Department's website www.culture.gov.uk.

Art Theft

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many spoliation cases are open before the Spoliation Advisory Panel.

David Lammy: The Spoliation Advisory Panel is currently working on one case.

Art Theft

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill on the ability of rightful owners to recover art and artefacts looted by the Nazis on loan from overseas to institutions in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: I have considered carefully the potential impact of the Tribunals, Court and Enforcement Bill on the ability of owners of art looted by the Nazis to recover their property. The immunity provided for in the Bill will not apply to art and artefacts on long-term loan from overseas. Only the museums which I have approved will be able to arrange temporary exhibitions of objects benefiting from the immunity provided for in the Bill. A museum can only expect to be approved if it follows appropriate due diligence procedures, including checks on the provenance of works of art it is planning to exhibit. These procedures will help to ensure that any item of dubious origin would be excluded from temporary exhibitions. Our museums are committedto ensuring that they do not exhibit looted art and artefacts, and I am confident that these provisions will not adversely affect owners of looted art.

Art Theft

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions Ministers in her Department have had with Holocaust victims and their representatives on the effects of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: I met representatives of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Commission for Looted Art in Europe on 28 November to discuss the effects of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill.

Arts and Sport Expenditure

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Government expenditure there was for  (a) the arts and  (b) sport in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) 2005-06; and what the percentage change was of each figure in real terms over that period.

David Lammy: The Department's accounts show195 million spent on the arts and 52 million spent on sport in 1996-97, and 410 million spent on the arts and 117 million spent on sport in 2005-06.
	In real terms, this represented a 68.3 per cent. increase in spending on the arts and 81.0 per cent. in spending on sport during the period.

Concessionary TV Licences

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioner households have received a full television licence in each year since the scheme was introduced.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of households receiving free television licences (million) 
			 2000-01 2.976 
			 2001-02 3.209 
			 2002-03 3.306 
			 2003-04 3.391 
			 2004-05 3.462 
			 2005-06 3.528

Departmental Staff

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many temporary employees were contracted to work for her Department in 2005-06; and what the total cost of such employees was in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 1997-98.

David Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport employs temporary agency staff on the basis of a booking which can last from as little as one day to many months. The number of bookings in 2005-06 was 86 and the total cost was 1,147,515. In addition there were a total of 21 staff on fixed-term appointments during the same year at a total cost of 1,255,379. We do not hold the equivalent information for 1997-98.

Digital Television

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the numbers of households that will qualify for assistance in switching over to digital television in each parliamentary constituency in Wales.

Shaun Woodward: Estimates of households in Wales qualifying for assistance:
	
		
			  Constituency  Total 
			 Aberavon 13,000 
			 Alyn and Deeside 9,000 
			 Blaenau Gwent 13,000 
			 Brecon and Radnorshire 10,000 
			 Bridgend 13,000 
			 Caernarfon 9,000 
			 Caerphilly 13,000 
			 Cardiff Central 8,000 
			 Cardiff North 11,000 
			 Cardiff South and Penarth 12,000 
			 Cardiff West 10,000 
			 Carmarthen East and Dinefwr 11,000 
			 Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire 10,000 
			 Ceredigion 10,000 
			 Clwyd South 10,000 
			 Clwyd West 12,000 
			 Conwy 11,000 
			 Cynon Valley 11,000 
			 Delyn 9,000 
			 Cower 12,000 
			 Islwyn 10,000 
			 Llanelli 14,000 
			 Meirionnydd Nant Conwy 6,000 
			 Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney 13,000 
			 Monmouth 11,000 
			 Montgomeryshire 7,000 
			 Neath 12,000 
			 Newport East 11,000 
			 Newport West 11,000 
			 Ogmore 12,000 
			 Pontypridd 11,000 
			 Preseli Pembrokeshire 11,000 
			 Rhondda 14,000 
			 Swansea East 13,000 
			 Swansea West 12,000 
			 Torfaen 12,000 
			 Vale of Clwyd 12,000 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 12,000 
			 Wrexham 9,000 
			 Ynys Mon 10,000 
			 Total 440,000 
			 1. Rounded to the nearest thousand.  2. Eligibility for help from the digital switchover help scheme will be by benefit unit rather than the whole household definition used by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Office to forecast future household growth.  3. The definition of a benefit unit is a couple and any dependent children. It excludes adults deemed to be non-dependents who, if eligible, will be able to claim assistance from the help scheme in their own right.

Renaissance in the Regions

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much each museum and gallery which has been allocated funds under Renaissance in the Regions has received.

David Lammy: As Renaissance is a regional programme, delivering funding across a number of activities and institutions, it is not possible to attribute spend to specific museums. Money is spent in a way that benefits groups of museums, including the Renaissance Hubs, through grants to Subject Specialist Networks and through the Museum Development Fund.
	The majority of Renaissance funding goes directly to the network of Regional Museum Hubs. Each Hub is made up of four or more museums or museum services. The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council has encouraged Hub partners to take a joint approach to planning and delivering their work programmes through meaningful and productive partnerships. The following table shows funding allocated to each regional Hub since the programme began in 2002.
	
		
			  Renaissance hub funding 
			   
			   Allocations  Total 
			  Hub  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2002-03 to 2005-06 
			 East Midlands 10,000 200,000 729,000 963,000 1,902,000 
			 East of England 10,000 220,000 720,000 1,214,000 2,164,000 
			 London 10,000 250,000 946,000 1,324,000 2,530,000 
			 North West 10,000 220,000 820,000 1,402,000 2,452,000 
			 South East 10,000 260,000 908,000 1,548,000 2,726,000 
			 Yorkshire 10,000 210,000 676,000 1,180,000 2,076,000 
			 North East 10,000 960,000 2,467,000 3,343,000 6,780,000 
			 South West 10,000 1,340,000 3,149,000 5,181,000 9,680,000 
			 West Midlands 10,000 1,420,000 3,410,000 5,420,000 10,260,000 
			 Total 90,000 5,080,000 13,825,000 21,575,000 40,570,000 
		
	
	41 museums/museum services make up the Hubs, working across over 190 sites:
	 East Midlands:
	Leicester Museums Service (lead partner)
	Derby Museums and Art Gallery
	Leicestershire Museums Service
	Lincolnshire Museums Service
	Nottingham City Museums and Galleries
	 East of England:
	Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service (lead partner)
	Colchester Museums
	Luton Museums Service
	Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge
	 London:
	Museum of London (lead partner)
	Geffrye Museum Trust
	Horniman Public Museum and Public Park Trust
	London's Transport Museum
	 North East:
	Tyne and Wear Museums (lead partner)
	Beamish, the North of England Open Air Museum
	Hartlepool Museums
	The Bowes Museum, County Durham
	 North West:
	Manchester City Galleries (lead partner)
	Bolton Museum and Art Gallery
	Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston
	Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle
	University of Manchester Museums and Galleries: Manchester
	Museum and Whitworth Gallery
	 South East:
	Hampshire County Museums Service (lead partner)
	Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust
	Oxford University Museums
	The Royal Pavilion, Libraries and Museums, Brighton and Hove
	 South West:
	Bristol Museums and Art Gallery (lead partner)
	Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery
	Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, Exeter
	Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro
	Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth
	 West Midlands:
	Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery (lead partner)
	Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry
	Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Telford
	Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke on Trent
	Wolverhampton Art Gallery

Renaissance in the Regions

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funds her Department allocated for acquisitions by galleries outside London in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: There are no funds allocated specifically for acquisition by galleries outside London. This is because DCMS-funded museums and galleries havesince 1992been able to spend whatever proportion of their income they wish on acquisitions.

School Swimming Pools (Suffolk)

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many swimming pools there are in  (a) primary schools,  (b) middle schools and  (c) upper schools in Suffolk; and how many there were in 1996.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	Suffolk local education authority has advised my Department that 80, 6 and 1 of its primary, middle and upper schools respectively have swimming pools. The Department does not hold information on numbers of swimming pools in 1996.

Sevso Treasure

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what advice she has received on the provenance of the Sevso Treasure.

David Lammy: My Department has received representations from representatives of the Hungarian Government as to the provenance of the Sevso Treasure. I have not received other advice as to its provenance. I am aware that its provenance is disputed.

Sevso Treasure

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Governments of  (a) Croatia,  (b) Hungary and  (c) the Lebanon on the provenance of the Sevso treasure.

David Lammy: I have had no discussions with the Governments of Croatia or Lebanon on the provenance of the Sevso treasure. My Department has received representations from representatives of the Hungarian Government in relation to the provenance of the Treasure.

Sevso Treasure

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received from the Ministry of Education and Culture in Hungary on the Sevso treasure.

David Lammy: We have had a number of contacts with representatives of the Ministry of Education and Culture in Hungary in relation to the Sevso treasure. Representatives of the Ministry wrote to my Department to set out the Republic of Hungary's official position in relation to the Sevso silver in October 2005, and subsequently in October 2006 to reiterate their concerns in the light of the exhibition of the Sevso treasure at Bonhams. Officials in my Department have also met representatives of the Ministry of Education and Culture to discuss the Sevso treasure.

Tate

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to be able to make a definitive statement on the future of the Tate.

David Lammy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no current plans to make a statement on the future of the Tate, which continues to capture the public's imagination and broaden understanding of British art from the 16th century to the present day, and of international modern and contemporary art.

Temporary Export Bars

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many temporary export bars were issued by Ministers in her Department in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: The information requested is as follows.
	
		
			   Number of cases where a decision on the application for an export licence was deferred 
			 1997-98 15 
			 1998-99 17 
			 1999-2000 13 
			 2000-01 34 
			 2001-02 (1)30 
			 2002-03 23 
			 2003-04 9 
			 2004-05 25 
			 2005-06 17 
			 (1) Excludes one case where item was originally thought to meet the Waverley Criteria but was subsequently found to have been imported into the UK within the last 50 years.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Staff

Oliver Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister
	(1)  what the job title is of each staff member in his Department;
	(2)  how many full-time equivalent staff work  (a) in and  (b) for his Department;
	(3)  what post Mr. Robbie Bulluch holds in his Department;
	(4)  who his special advisers are; what the job title of each is; and who advises him on foreign affairs;
	(5)  for what reason Mr. Robbie Bulluch accompanied him on his official visit to Malaysia.

John Prescott: In an answer I gave to the hon. Member on 9 October 2006,  Official Report, column 72W, I notified the House that my Office employed 18 staff, including two special advisers. The Government publishes an annual list of Special Advisers to Ministers. My special advisers were included on the list published on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 86WS. My special advisers advise me on all aspects of the Department's responsibilities in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
	I am also supported in my role by civil servants as appropriate. As is the case with other Government Departments and in accordance with the principles of public accountability, the names of senior civil servants in my Office are included in a variety of publications including the Civil Service Yearbook. The release of information about more junior civil servants could undermine their ability to carry out their functions effectively and thus have a negative impact on the effective conduct of Government business. In addition to the staff in my Office, I receive support andbriefing from other Government Departments as necessary, in accordance with the issue I am dealing with at the time.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Court Buildings (Gloucestershire)

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to provide new court buildings in Gloucestershire; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: My Department is currently working with HM Treasury, as part of its bid for the Comprehensive Spending Review, to establish the court building programme for the next spending round. I will be in a position to announce the priority court building projects for the next spending round in due course.

Criminal Justice Regionalisation

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the possible effect on local criminal justice teams of the regionalisation of some services.

Harriet Harman: The decision to proceed with the restructuring of Her Majesty's Courts Service administrative areas was taken on the basis that it would not directly impact on the judiciary or criminal justice partners in the criminal justice system. The new area directors are committed to attending local criminal justice boards and aim to provide the same level of service. Where an area director is unable to attend an HMCS representative will act as a replacement, with authority to commit resources on behalf of the area director.

Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions she has had with colleagues on progress towards implementing the provisions of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 on restraining orders and injunctions.

Harriet Harman: I have had many discussions with ministerial colleagues on both the funding and implementation of section 12 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004.

Magistrates Courts

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plansshe has to reorganise the magistrates courts systemin South Wales; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: HMCS is currently looking at all its courts across England and Wales to see how we can ensure that we are getting the most from our court estate. In South Wales, various alternatives have been suggested, but none have been put to me as final proposals. Should any proposal come forward that requires change in the current estate, full public consultation would be undertaken.

Public Appointments

Charles Hendry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which public appointments have been given by her Department to former Ministers who have served in the Government since May 1997.

Vera Baird: No such appointments have been made in the period in question.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

A-levels

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils in England gained  (a) three,  (b) four,  (c) five,  (d) six,  (e) seven,  (f) eight and  (g) nine A-levels in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of 16 to 18-year-old pupils in England who obtained the following numbers of GCE A level passes at gradesA to E:
	
		
			  GCE A-level 
			   Number of passes 
			   3 or more  4 or more  5 or more  6 or more  7 or more  8 or more  9 or more 
			 1997 136,470 48,283 3,484 68 3 0 0 
			 1998 142,794 53,741 3,900 113 18 7 2 
			 1999 144,109 56,097 4,080 87 1 0 0 
			 2000 143,698 58,276 4,150 106 4 1 0 
			 2001 144,698 60,319 4,682 91 3 1 1 
			 2002 150,562 50,791 4,279 114 3 0 0 
			 2003 155,839 50,711 4,151 147 5 1 1 
			 2004 159,234 52,471 4,412 167 4 0 0 
			 2005 163,701 54,010 4,551 150 11 3 0 
			 20061 169,689 55,797 5,269 237 15 1 0 
			  Note:  Data for 2006 is provisional. Data for all other years is final.

Bexley Business Academy

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what role  (a) Land Investors plc,  (b) Rangeview Properties Ltd.,  (c) Thamesoval Properties Ltd. and  (d) Minerva plc have had in the(i) construction and (ii) operation of Bexley Business Academy.

Jim Knight: Sir David Garrard sponsors the academy in a personal capacity and was until last year the Chairman of Minerva plc, of which Land Investors plc is a subsidiary.
	The companies listed have had no role in the construction or operation of the Bexley Business Academy.

Citizenship Education

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will encourage local authorities to monitor the number of citizenship specialist trained teachers.

Jim Knight: Ofsted considers the availability of suitably trained teachers as part of its inspection of citizenship teaching in schools. In addition, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has a programme of curriculum monitoring and evaluation, which includes reporting on teacher supply.
	The Department has regular contact with local authority citizenship co-ordinators to promote initiatives such as the new continuous professional development certificate for citizenship teachers.

Citizenship Education

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the desired outcomes on pupil development are of the  (a) knowledge and understanding about becoming informed citizens,  (b) inquiry and communication and  (c) participation and responsible action sections of the citizenship curriculum.

Jim Knight: Citizenship Education, comprising of three themes; knowledge and understanding, inquiry and communication, and participation and responsible action, is designed to help young people developformal knowledge of how political processes work, understand their rights, duties and social and moral responsibilities, and take an active role in their neighbourhoods and communities.
	The Citizenship curriculum is designed to develop pupils' skills of inquiry, reflection and discussion, and encourages young people to learn to distinguish between facts and values so that they may make informed choices. It aims to give pupils an appreciation of how decisions are made, the value of bringing about change through negotiation and of resolving conflict fairly. It shows young people how they can play their part, make their voices heard and their actions count.

Citizenship Education

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many GCSE Citizenship examinations have been taken since its introduction.

Jim Knight: Three examination boards have offered a GCSE (short course) in Citizenship in each year since 2002. The number of 15-year-old pupils(1) entered for this qualification in each year since 2002 is as follows:
	
		
			  Number of 15-year-old pupils( 1)  attempting GCSE (Short Course) Citizenship 
			   Attempts 
			 2002 218 
			 2003 4,982 
			 2004 24,415 
			 2005 35,977 
			 2006(2) 51,062 
			 Total 116,654 
			 (1) Pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year ie 31 August. (2) Figures for 2006 are provisional. Figures for all other years are final. 
		
	
	The information that is readily available by the Department is for 15-year-olds or pupils at the end of Key Stage 4.

Departmental Expenditure

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his Department's average expenditure was per pupil for each school year group of compulsory schooling in the latest year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: holding answer 28 November2006
	The funding for schools that the Department distributes to local authorities is not allocated on a year group basis. The distribution of the Dedicated School Grant for 2006-07 was based on a single guaranteed unit of funding for each per three to 15-year-old pupil funded through the local authority. Prior to 2006-07, local authorities received funding for schools through Education Formula Spending Shares (EFSS) which were part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. Education FSS did separately differentiate funding between primary, including under fives and secondary pupils so a split of funding is available.
	The following table details the per pupil funding within 2005-06 EFSS plus all school-related revenue grants in cash terms:
	
		
			
			 Primary (pupils aged 3-10) 3,840 
			 Secondary (pupils aged 11-15) 4,730 
			  Note: Figures are rounded to nearest 10, includes pension transfer.

Education Funding

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what sources of public funding are available to schools in England; how much  (a) was available in financial year 2005-06 and  (b) is available in 2006-07 from each source; and for what purposes money from each source may be used.

Jim Knight: The available information is contained within the following table:
	
		
			   million 
			   2005-06  2006-07 
			 Education Formula Spending(1,2) 25,277  
			 Dedicated Schools Grant(1,2)  26,574 
			 Standards Fund 2,107 2,776 
			 Learning and Skills Council Funding for sixth forms (including pensions transfer) 1,760 1,846 
			 Schools Standards Grant (including personalisation) 903 1,217 
			 Budget Support Grant(3) 61  
			 Teacher Threshold and Performance Grant(4) 908  
			 Total revenue funding for schools 30,382 32,413 
			 LEA central functions block from Local Government Finance Settlement(2) 2,599  
			 (1) The 2005-06 figures are based on Education Formula Spending (EFS) which formed the education part of the Local Government Finance Settlement, plus various revenue grants. This was an assessment of the relative need of local authorities to fund education rather than what they spent. In 2006-07 funding for schools fundamentally changed with the introduction of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) which is based largely on an authority's previous spending. (2) The DSG has a different coverage to EFS. EFS comprised a schools budget and an LEA budget (to cover LEA central functions) whereas DSG only covers the schools budget. LEA budget items are still funded through the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) Finance Settlement but education items cannot be separately identified. To provide comparability between the 2005-06 EFS and 2006-07 DSG, the funding for LEA central functions block have been removed from the EFS figure and identified separately. (3) The Budget Support Grant was only available for two-years and ceased after 2005-06. (4) Teacher Threshold and Performance Grant was merged into DSG in 2006-07.  Note: Figures may not sum to total due to rounding.

Educational Attainment

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of candidates achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics in each  (a) selective,  (b) partially selective and  (c) comprehensive local education authority in the last 12 months, broken down by ethnic origin of candidates.

Jim Knight: The 2005 information requested has been placed in the House of Commons Library. 2006 GCSE and equivalent attainment data by local authority and ethnicity will be available at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000693/index.shtml in the next few weeks.

Educational Attainment

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students in Stafford constituency achieved each grade in  (a) GCSE examinations and  (b) A Level examinations (i) in 2006 and (ii) in each year since 1996.

Jim Knight: The following tables give the provisional grade breakdowns across all subjects of the performance in GCSE and A Level subjects in 2006 for pupils attending schools or FE sector colleges in Stafford constituency. Equivalent figures for 1996 to 2005 can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Grade breakdown of GCSE entries of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4( 1)  in 2006( 2)  for pupils in Stafford constituency( 3) 
			   Number 
			 A* 303 
			 A 917 
			 B 1,970 
			 C 2,684 
			 D 2,001 
			 E 1,242 
			 F 598 
			 G 218 
			 U(4) 118 
			 X(5) 18 
			 Total entries 10,069 
			 (1) Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in the 2005/06 academic year. (2) Includes attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years. 2006 data is provisional. (3) Pupils attending schools located in Stafford constituency. (4) Grade U refers to pupils who are ungraded or unclassified. (5) Grade X refers to pupils who were absent or results pending. 
		
	
	
		
			  Grade breakdown of A Level students in 2006( 1)  in Stafford constituency( 2) 
			   Number 
			 A 216 
			 B 316 
			 C 374 
			 D 318 
			 E 212 
			 U(3) 84 
			 Total entries 1,520 
			 (1) Includes attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years. 2006 data is provisional. (2) Pupils attending schools located in Stafford constituency. (3) Grade U refers to pupils who are ungraded or unclassified.

Excellence in Cities Programme

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was allocated to Loughborough constituency through the Excellence in Cities programme in the last year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: Criteria for inclusion in the Excellence in Cities Programme were revised at the time of the Primary Expansion in September 2004. Funding was allocated to LAs based on the number of their primary schools with more than 35 per cent. FSM. Cobden primary school, Loughborough was identified as being above 35 per cent. FSM and Leicestershire local authority were, therefore, allocated a total of 31,165 for the financial year 2005-06.
	The final decisions on delegations to schools were made by LAs to ensure that local knowledge informed resource allocation. This means that EiC funding could have been shared with other schools, in order to achieve its maximum impact.
	In April 2006 EiC ceased to be a discreet, funded programme, but all previous EiC funding continues to be paid through local authorities as part of the School Development Grant (SDG).

Faith Schools

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) faith primary schools, broken down by faith and  (b) non-faith primary schools there are in each local education authority area.

Jim Knight: The information requested was published in SFR 38/2006 Schools and Pupils in England: January 2006 (Final). The relevant table is shown as follows:
	
		
			  Table 27: Maintained primary schools( 1) : Number of schools by religious character, January 2006, by local authority area and Government office region in England 
			Primary Schools 
			No religious character  Church of England  Roman Catholic  Methodist  Other Christian Faith( 2) 
			   England 11,228 4,456 1,708 26 52 
			   North East 672 100 158 0 0 
			 841 Darlington 20 6 4 0 0 
			 840 Durham 177 26 38 0 0 
			 390 Gateshead 55 2 18 0 0 
			 805 Hartlepool 20 4 6 0 0 
			 806 Middlesbrough 31 0 11 0 0 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 50 4 18 0 0 
			 392 North Tyneside 44 3 9 0 0 
			 929 Northumberland 93 35 10 0 0 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 38 2 7 0 0 
			 393 South Tyneside 36 6 11 0 0 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 41 9 12 0 0 
			 394 Sunderland 67 3 14 0 0 
			
			   North West 1,346 671 519 17 21 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwen 22 22 11 0 1 
			 890 Blackpool 18 4 8 0 0 
			 350 Bolton 53 29 16 0 1 
			 351 Bury 31 17 10 2 1 
			 875 Cheshire 185 70 25 0 0 
			 909 Cumbria 150 106 25 0 0 
			 876 Halton 31 8 13 0 0 
			 340 Knowsley 28 6 25 0 0 
			 888 Lancashire 191 172 104 9 11 
			 341 Liverpool 71 13 48 0 2 
			 352 Manchester 70 26 37 0 0 
			 353 Oldham 54 26 12 0 2 
			 354 Rochdale 40 18 14 0 1 
			 355 Salford 40 19 21 2 0 
			 343 Sefton 36 16 28 0 0 
			 342 St. Helens 26 11 17 1 1 
			 356 Stockport 65 11 15 0 0 
			 357 Tameside 44 18 12 1 0 
			 358 Trafford 50 8 15 0 0 
			 877 Warrington 39 18 14 0 0 
			 359 Wigan 34 41 29 2 1 
			 344 Wirral 68 12 20 0 0 
			
			   Yorkshire and the Humber 1,308 423 151 4 4 
			 370 Barnsley 63 14 5 0 0 
			 380 Bradford 112 27 20 0 0 
			 381 Calderdale 56 22 7 0 0 
			 371 Doncaster 84 9 10 0 0 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 84 44 5 0 0 
			 810 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 66 4 7 0 0 
			 382 Kirklees 95 48 8 0 0 
			 383 Leeds 156 39 29 0 0 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 51 6 2 0 0 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 45 17 4 0 1 
			 815 North Yorkshire 163 140 20 3 2 
			 372 Rotherham 85 12 7 0 0 
			 373 Sheffield 116 10 13 0 1 
			 384 Wakefield 94 20 9 1 0 
			 816 York 38 11 5 0 0 
			
			   East Midlands 1,149 470 79 1 9 
			 831 Derby 66 7 5 0 0 
			 830 Derbyshire 235 104 16 1 2 
			 856 Leicester 75 4 6 0 0 
			 855 Leicestershire 125 89 12 0 0 
			 925 Lincolnshire 163 112 7 0 4 
			 928 Northamptonshire 175 80 12 0 1 
			 892 Nottingham 82 3 8 0 0 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 223 60 12 0 2 
			 857 Rutland 5 11 1 0 0 
			
			   West Midlands 1,156 488 203 0 5 
			 330 Birmingham 221 23 54 0 2 
			 331 Coventry 58 8 19 0 0 
			 332 Dudley 64 13 5 0 0 
			 884 Herefordshire 42 38 3 0 0 
			 333 Sandwell 80 10 7 0 0 
			 893 Shropshire 58 82 3 0 0 
			 334 Solihull 45 13 9 0 0 
			 860 Staffordshire 173 98 33 0 2 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 48 11 12 0 0 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 45 11 4 0 1 
			 335 Walsall 68 13 9 0 0 
			 937 Warwickshire 103 71 22 0 0 
			 336 Wolverhampton 55 15 10 0 0 
			 885 Worcestershire 96 82 13 0 0 
			
			   East of England 1,433 526 100 0 4 
			 820 Bedfordshire 107 35 4 0 0 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 136 63 2 0 2 
			 881 Essex 329 118 26 0 1 
			 919 Hertfordshire 285 84 37 0 0 
			 821 Luton 50 1 6 0 0 
			 926 Norfolk 258 121 5 0 1 
			 874 Peterborough 45 11 2 0 0 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea 32 1 4 0 0 
			 935 Suffolk 155 89 10 0 0 
			 883 Thurrock 36 3 4 0 0 
			
			   London 1,328 239 242 0 0 
			   Inner London 457 129 106 0 0 
			 202 Camden 20 13 8 0 0 
			 201 City of London 0 1 0 0 0 
			 204 Hackney 41 7 4 0 0 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 23 5 7 0 0 
			 309 Haringey 42 10 11 0 0 
			 206 Islington 29 9 7 0 0 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 12 7 7 0 0 
			 208 Lambeth 37 15 7 0 0 
			 209 Lewisham 48 10 11 0 0 
			 316 Newham 56 3 7 0 0 
			 210 Southwark 47 12 12 0 0 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 51 9 9 0 0 
			 212 Wandsworth 37 9 9 0 0 
			 213 Westminster 14 19 7 0 0 
			
			   Outer London 871 110 136 0 0 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 42 2 5 0 0 
			 302 Barnet 55 14 11 0 0 
			 303 Bexley 45 7 7 0 0 
			 304 Brent 40 5 11 0 0 
			 305 Bromley 61 8 8 0 0 
			 306 Croydon 72 7 11 0 0 
			 307 Ealing 53 3 8 0 0 
			 308 Enfield 49 12 5 0 0 
			 203 Greenwich 47 7 10 0 0 
			 310 Harrow 47 1 6 0 0 
			 311 Havering 55 2 8 0 0 
			 312 Hillingdon 52 6 6 0 0 
			 313 Hounslow 51 2 7 0 0 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 22 11 4 0 0 
			 315 Merton 32 5 6 0 0 
			 317 Redbridge 42 1 6 0 0 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 26 9 6 0 0 
			 319 Sutton 32 4 5 0 0 
			 320 Waltham Forest 48 4 6 0 0 
			
			   South East 1,704 814 166 3 3 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 21 7 2 0 0 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 41 8 7 0 0 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 117 61 7 0 0 
			 845 East Sussex 79 66 9 1 1 
			 850 Hampshire 304 115 14 0 0 
			 921 Isle of Wight 25 16 5 0 0 
			 886 Kent 280 161 27 2 0 
			 887 Medway 68 10 8 0 0 
			 826 Milton Keynes 77 9 5 0 0 
			 931 Oxfordshire 99 118 15 0 1 
			 851 Portsmouth 47 2 4 0 0 
			 870 Reading 29 4 4 0 0 
			 871 Slough 20 2 5 0 0 
			 852 Southampton 54 6 3 0 0 
			 936 Surrey 206 85 27 0 0 
			 869 West Berkshire 33 30 3 0 0 
			 938 West Sussex 149 77 15 0 1 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 21 21 4 0 0 
			 872 Wokingham 34 16 2 0 0 
			
			   South West 1,132 725 90 1 6 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 29 33 2 0 0 
			 837 Bournemouth 15 9 3 0 0 
			 801 Bristol, City of 93 13 12 0 0 
			 908 Cornwall 191 44 4 0 0 
			 878 Devon 196 112 9 0 1 
			 835 Dorset 50 79 8 0 0 
			 916 Gloucestershire 134 108 8 0 0 
			 420 Isles of Scilly 0 1 0 0 0 
			 802 North Somerset 34 27 3 0 1 
			 879 Plymouth 62 8 6 0 0 
			 836 Poole 23 4 2 0 0 
			 933 Somerset 100 113 8 1 1 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 58 31 6 0 1 
			 866 Swindon 55 7 5 0 0 
			 880 Torbay 19 9 4 0 0 
			 865 Wiltshire 73 127 10 0 2 
		
	
	
		
			Primary Schools 
			Jewish  Muslim  Sikh  Other  Total 
			   England 28 4 1 1 17,504 
			   North East 0 0 0 0 930 
			 841 Darlington 0 0 0 0 30 
			 840 Durham 0 0 0 0 241 
			 390 Gateshead 0 0 0 0 75 
			 805 Hartlepool 0 0 0 0 30 
			 806 Middlesbrough 0 0 0 0 42 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 0 0 0 0 72 
			 392 North Tyneside 0 0 0 0 56 
			 929 Northumberland 0 0 0 0 138 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 0 0 0 0 47 
			 393 South Tyneside 0 0 0 0 53 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 0 0 0 0 62 
			 394 Sunderland 0 0 0 0 84 
			
			   North West 7 0 0 0 2,581 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwen 0 0 0 0 56 
			 890 Blackpool 0 0 0 0 30 
			 350 Bolton 0 0 0 0 99 
			 351 Bury 2 0 0 0 63 
			 875 Cheshire 0 0 0 0 280 
			 909 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 281 
			 876 Halton 0 0 0 0 52 
			 340 Knowsley 0 0 0 0 59 
			 888 Lancashire 0 0 0 0 487 
			 341 Liverpool 1 0 0 0 135 
			 352 Manchester 2 0 0 0 135 
			 353 Oldham 0 0 0 0 94 
			 354 Rochdale 0 0 0 0 73 
			 355 Salford 1 0 0 0 83 
			 343 Sefton 0 0 0 0 80 
			 342 St. Helens 0 0 0 0 56 
			 356 Stockport 1 0 0 0 92 
			 357 Tameside 0 0 0 0 75 
			 358 Trafford 0 0 0 0 73 
			 877 Warrington 0 0 0 0 71 
			 359 Wigan 0 0 0 0 107 
			 344 Wirral 0 0 0 0 100 
			
			   Yorkshire and the Humber 1 0 0 0 1,891 
			 370 Barnsley 0 0 0 0 82 
			 380 Bradford 0 0 0 0 159 
			 381 Calderdale 0 0 0 0 85 
			 371 Doncaster 0 0 0 0 103 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 133 
			 810 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 0 0 0 0 77 
			 382 Kirklees 0 0 0 0 151 
			 383 Leeds 1 0 0 0 225 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 59 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 67 
			 815 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 328 
			 372 Rotherham 0 0 0 0 104 
			 373 Sheffield 0 0 0 0 140 
			 384 Wakefield 0 0 0 0 124 
			 816 York 0 0 0 0 54 
			
			   East Midlands 0 0 0 0 1,708 
			 831 Derby 0 0 0 0 78 
			 830 Derbyshire 0 0 0 0 358 
			 856 Leicester 0 0 0 0 85 
			 855 Leicestershire 0 0 0 0 226 
			 925 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 286 
			 928 Northamptonshire 0 0 0 0 268 
			 892 Nottingham 0 0 0 0 93 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 0 0 0 0 297 
			 857 Rutland 0 0 0 0 17 
			
			   West Midlands 1 1 0 0 1,854 
			 330 Birmingham 1 1 0 0 302 
			 331 Coventry 0 0 0 0 85 
			 332 Dudley 0 0 0 0 82 
			 884 Herefordshire 0 0 0 0 83 
			 333 Sandwell 0 0 0 0 97 
			 893 Shropshire 0 0 0 0 143 
			 334 Solihull 0 0 0 0 67 
			 860 Staffordshire 0 0 0 0 306 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 0 0 0 0 71 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 0 0 0 0 61 
			 335 Walsall 0 0 0 0 90 
			 937 Warwickshire 0 0 0 0 196 
			 336 Wolverhampton 0 0 0 0 80 
			 885 Worcestershire 0 0 0 0 191 
			
			   East of England 2 0 0 0 2,065 
			 820 Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 146 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 0 0 0 0 203 
			 881 Essex 0 0 0 0 474 
			 919 Hertfordshire 2 0 0 0 408 
			 821 Luton 0 0 0 0 57 
			 926 Norfolk 0 0 0 0 385 
			 874 Peterborough 0 0 0 0 58 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea 0 0 0 0 37 
			 935 Suffolk 0 0 0 0 254 
			 883 Thurrock 0 0 0 0 43 
			
			   London 17 3 1 1 1,831 
			   Inner London 2 1 0 0 695 
			 202 Camden 0 0 0 0 41 
			 201 City of London 0 0 0 0 1 
			 204 Hackney 2 0 0 0 54 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 0 0 0 0 35 
			 309 Haringey 0 0 0 0 63 
			 206 Islington 0 0 0 0 45 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 0 0 0 0 26 
			 208 Lambeth 0 0 0 0 59 
			 209 Lewisham 0 0 0 0 69 
			 316 Newham 0 0 0 0 66 
			 210 Southwark 0 0 0 0 71 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 0 0 0 0 69 
			 212 Wandsworth 0 1 0 0 56 
			 213 Westminster 0 0 0 0 40 
			
			   Outer London 15 2 1 1 1,136 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 0 0 0 0 49 
			 302 Barnet 8 0 0 0 88 
			 303 Bexley 0 0 0 0 59 
			 304 Brent 3 2 0 0 61 
			 305 Bromley 0 0 0 0 77 
			 306 Croydon 0 0 0 1 91 
			 307 Ealing 0 0 0 0 64 
			 308 Enfield 1 0 0 0 67 
			 203 Greenwich 0 0 0 0 64 
			 310 Harrow 1 0 0 0 55 
			 311 Havering 0 0 0 0 65 
			 312 Hillingdon 0 0 1 0 65 
			 313 Hounslow 0 0 0 0 60 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 0 0 0 0 37 
			 315 Merton 0 0 0 0 43 
			 317 Redbridge 2 0 0 0 51 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 0 0 0 0 41 
			 319 Sutton 0 0 0 0 41 
			 320 Waltham Forest 0 0 0 0 58 
			
			   South East 0 0 0 0 2,690 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 0 0 0 0 30 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 0 0 0 0 56 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 0 0 0 0 185 
			 845 East Sussex 0 0 0 0 156 
			 850 Hampshire 0 0 0 0 433 
			 921 Isle of Wight 0 0 0 0 46 
			 886 Kent 0 0 0 0 470 
			 887 Medway 0 0 0 0 86 
			 826 Milton Keynes 0 0 0 0 91 
			 931 Oxfordshire 0 0 0 0 233 
			 851 Portsmouth 0 0 0 0 53 
			 870 Reading 0 0 0 0 37 
			 871 Slough 0 0 0 0 27 
			 852 Southampton 0 0 0 0 63 
			 936 Surrey 0 0 0 0 318 
			 869 West Berkshire 0 0 0 0 66 
			 938 West Sussex 0 0 0 0 242 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 0 0 0 0 46 
			 872 Wokingham 0 0 0 0 52 
			
			   South West 0 0 0 0 1,954 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 0 0 0 0 64 
			 837 Bournemouth 0 0 0 0 27 
			 801 Bristol, City of 0 0 0 0 118 
			 908 Cornwall 0 0 0 0 239 
			 878 Devon 0 0 0 0 318 
			 835 Dorset 0 0 0 0 137 
			 916 Gloucestershire 0 0 0 0 250 
			 420 Isles of Scilly 0 0 0 0 1 
			 802 North Somerset 0 0 0 0 65 
			 879 Plymouth 0 0 0 0 76 
			 836 Poole 0 0 0 0 29 
			 933 Somerset 0 0 0 0 223 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 0 0 0 0 96 
			 866 Swindon 0 0 0 0 67 
			 880 Torbay 0 0 0 0 32 
			 865 Wiltshire 0 0 0 0 212 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes schools of mixed denomination or other Christian beliefs.  Source: Schools Census and Edubase.

International Baccalaureate

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in England offer the International Baccalaureate; and how many did so in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2001.

Jim Knight: The available information is given in the table.
	The number of pupils following the International Baccalaureate in maintained secondary schools is only available from 2002 onwards.
	
		
			  Maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges and academies: Number of schools with at least one pupil following an International Baccalaureateposition in January each year: 1997, 2001 and 2006England 
			   Number of schools with at least one pupil following an International Baccalaureate 
			   Maintained secondary  City technology college  Academy 
			 1997 n/a 1  
			 2001 n/a 0  
			 2006 33 1 1 
			 n/a = not available ''= not applicable  Source: Schools' Census

Physics (Universities)

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment he has made of provision of physics courses in universities.

Bill Rammell: The number of students on physics courses has increased by 6 per cent. over the 10 years to 2004 and new entrants have also increased by 10 per cent. over the last two years. Subjects like physics are starting to become more popular and the measureswe are taking to increase demand and the extra75 million announced earlier this month should help to sustain capacity as demand increases. Physics is also taught as a major subject at some 50 UK institutions. We have consistently made clear that if a physics department closes at one institution, the Higher Education Funding Council for England should seek to maintain regional capacity elsewhere and we recently announced that the council should report to us on how provision can be maintained in this way.

Class Sizes

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils were in primary school classes larger than 30 in  (a) the North West,  (b) Manchester City and  (c) Manchester, Gorton constituency on (i) 2 May 1997 and (ii) the most recent date for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The available information is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary schools: classes containing more than 30 pupils( 1, 2) , 1997 and 2006, position in January each year 
			  Number 
			   1997  2006 
			   Classes  Pupils  Classes  Pupils 
			 England 40,827 1,344,231 17,545 573,353 
			 North West Government Office Region 7,295 242,764 2,859 94,541 
			 Manchester Local Authority 318 10,615 135 4,683 
			 Manchester, Gorton Parliamentary Constituency 68 2,272 26 973 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) One teacher classes taught during a single selected period on the day of the census in January.  Source: Schools Census. 
		
	
	Information on class sizes is derived from Annual Schools' Census returns made by schools to the Department in January each year.

Residence Orders

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many residence orders were made in  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2005; how many have been made in 2006; and how many of these orders were made to a person other than the child's parent;
	(2)  how many special guardianship orders made since 30 December 2005 were made in  (a) private law proceedings,  (b) public law proceedings and  (c) adoption proceedings in (i) county courts and (ii) family proceedings courts;
	(3)  how many special guardianship orders have been  (a) applied for and  (b) made since 30 December 2005, broken down into region.

Harriet Harman: The number of residence orders made in;
	 (a) 2004 was 31,878
	 (b) 2005 was 26,523; and
	 (c) January to September 2006 is 19,517
	Statistical data on the number of orders made to a person who is not the child's parent is not collected and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.
	The number of special guardianship orders made since 30(th) December 2005 in (a) private law proceedings, (b) public law proceedings and (c) adoption proceedings in (i) county courts are contained in the table.
	The SGO data for Family Proceedings Courts is not available as to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.
	The number of special guardianship orders  (a) applied for and  (b) made since 30 December 2005 broken down into region are contained in the table.
	
		
			  Special guardianship ordersJanuary 2006 to October 2006 inclusive 
			   County courts 
			   Applications made  Orders made 
			  Government region  Private law  Public law  Adoption  Private Law  Public law  Adoption 
			 East Midlands 10 0  9 9 0 
			 Eastern 22 0  7 30 0 
			 London 30 0  16 47 1 
			 Merseyside 14 0  5 18 0 
			 North East 5 0  2 14 0 
			 North West 15 0  4 26 0 
			 South East 46 0  19 49 2 
			 South West 21 0  6 20 0 
			 Wales 19 0  12 8 2 
			 West Midlands 15 0  5 25 1 
			 Yorkshire and Number 15 0  4 15 3 
			 England and Wales 212 0 0 89 261 9 
			  Notes: 1. Figures exclude discharge of special guardianship orders. 2. Data for SGO applications made under county court adoption proceedings are not collected.  Source: FamilyMan via MIS, data as at 30 November 2006

School Closures

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) independent special schools and  (b) maintained special schools closed in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority; and how many pupils there were at each school at the time of closure.

Jim Knight: holding answer 22 November 2006
	The information requested has been placed in the House Library.

School Meals

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) primary schools and  (b) secondary schools fall within each percentage point in terms of the proportion of pupils attending the school who are eligible for free school meals.

Jim Knight: The requested information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary and secondary schools( 1) : number of schools by the percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 
			  As at January 2006England 
			   Number of schools 
			  Percentage of school population known to be eligible for free school meals( 2) :  Primary  Secondary 
			 0.0 to 0.9 1,186 55 
			 1.0 to 1.9 928 98 
			 2.0 to 2.9 989 155 
			 3.0 to 3.9 1,000 153 
			 4.0 to 4.9 953 204 
			 5.0 to 5.9 864 218 
			 6.0 to 6.9 767 204 
			 7.0 to 7.9 732 203 
			 8.0 to 8.9 663 138 
			 9.0 to 9.9 588 156 
			 10.0 to 10.9 524 148 
			 11.0 to 11.9 469 125 
			 12.0 to 12.9 431 127 
			 13.0 to 13.9 377 96 
			 14.0 to 14.9 348 86 
			 15.0 to 15.9 296 74 
			 16.0 to 16.9 285 66 
			 17.0 to 17.9 276 59 
			 18.0 to 18.9 278 62 
			 19.0 to 19.9 259 40 
			 20.0 to 20.9 279 85 
			 21.0 to 21.9 244 60 
			 22.0 to 22.9 247 53 
			 23.0 to 23.9 232 54 
			 24.0 to 24.9 208 44 
			 25.0 to 25.9 211 44 
			 26.0 to 26.9 192 47 
			 27.0 to 27.9 176 32 
			 28.0 to 28.9 193 34 
			 29.0 to 29.9 184 24 
			 30.0 to 30.9 185 26 
			 31.0 to 31.9 156 26 
			 32.0 to 32.9 169 20 
			 33.0 to 33.9 159 16 
			 34.0 to 34.9 154 26 
			 35.0 to 35.9 151 24 
			 36.0 to 36.9 142 23 
			 37.0 to 37.9 124 29 
			 38.0 to 38.9 135 19 
			 39.0 to 39.9 122 17 
			 40.0 to 40.9 138 13 
			 41.0 to 41.9 96 15 
			 42.0 to 42.9 106 16 
			 43.0 to 43.9 86 16 
			 44.0 to 44.9 96 5 
			 45.0 to 45.9 82 9 
			 46.0 to 46.9 83 7 
			 47.0 to 47.9 71 10 
			 48.0 to 48.9 60 4 
			 49.0 to 49.9 62 8 
			 50.0 to 50.9 78 13 
			 51.0 to 51.9 80 6 
			 52.0 to 52.9 60 12 
			 53.0 to 53.9 62 12 
			 54.0 to 54.9 57 6 
			 55.0 to 55.9 61 6 
			 56.0 to 56.9 43 5 
			 57.0 to 57.9 34 2 
			 58.0 to 58.9 25 3 
			 59.0 to 59.9 32 2 
			 60.0 to 60.9 31 2 
			 61.0 to 61.9 25 3 
			 62.0 to 62.9 19 3 
			 63.0 to 63.9 27 4 
			 64.0 to 64.9 19 3 
			 65.0 to 65.9 13 2 
			 66.0 to 66.9 9 2 
			 67.0 to 67.9 14 1 
			 68.0 to 68.9 10 0 
			 69.0 to 69.9 5 1 
			 70.0 to 70.9 6 1 
			 71.0 to 71.9 6 0 
			 72.0 to 72.9 3 0 
			 73.0 to 73.9 2 1 
			 74.0 to 74.9 3 1 
			 75.0 to 75.9 5 0 
			 76.0 to 76.9 5 0 
			 77.0 to 77.9 4 2 
			 78.0 to 78.9 4 1 
			 79.0 to 79.9 3 0 
			 80.0 to 80.9 0 0 
			 81.0 to 81.9 2 0 
			 82.0 to 82.9 0 0 
			 83.0 to 83.9 1 0 
			 84.0 to 84.9 0 0 
			 85.0 to 85.9 0 0 
			 86.0 to 86.9 0 0 
			 87.0 to 87.9 0 0 
			 88.0 to 88.9 0 0 
			 89.0 to 89.9 0 0 
			 90.0 to 90.9 0 0 
			 91.0 to 91.9 0 0 
			 92.0 to 92.9 0 0 
			 93.0 to 93.9 0 0 
			 94.0 to 94.9 0 0 
			 95.0 to 95.9 0 0 
			 96.0 to 96.9 0 0 
			 97.0 to 97.9 0 0 
			 98.0 to 98.9 0 0 
			 99.0 to 99.9 0 0 
			 100 0 0 
			 Total 17,504 3,367 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes full time pupils aged up to and including 15 and part time pupils aged five to 15 (inclusive). Includes dually registered pupils.  Source: School Census

School Playing Fields

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many applications his Department has received from local authorities to sell school playing fields since the School Standards and Framework Act 1998; and how many such applications have been  (a) refused and  (b) approved.

Jim Knight: Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 was introduced in October 1998 to stop the indiscriminate sale of school playing fields. Local authorities and governing bodies of all maintained schools now need the Secretary of State's consent before they can dispose of a playing field or any part of a playing field.
	Since October 1998, the Department has received 190 applications from local authorities to sell an area of school playing field capable of being used for at least a small sports pitch. Of these, two have been rejected and 142 approved. Of the remainder, 38 have been withdrawn and eight are still to be determined.

School Staff (Redbridge)

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) teachers and  (b) teaching assistants were employed in (i) Redbridge and (ii) Waltham Forest in (A) 2005-06 and (B) each of the preceding five years.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teachers and teaching assistants employed in local authority maintained schools in Redbridge and Waltham Forest local authorities in each January from 2001 to 2006.
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent regular teachers (excluding occasionals) and teaching assistants in local authority maintained schools in Redbridge and Waltham Forest local authorities, January 2001 to 2006 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  Redbridge   
			 Teachers(1) 2,370 2,380 2,470 2,510 2,470 2,650 
			 Teaching assistants(2) 450 580 620 730 820 910 
			
			  Waltham Forest   
			 Teachers(1) 1,940 2,020 1,940 2,080 2,120 2,170 
			 Teaching assistants(2) 490 610 640 670 780 760 
			  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: (1) DfES annual survey of teachers in service and teacher vacancies, 618g. (2) Source: Annual School Census.

School Transport

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many children were transported to and from school by taxis provided by Essex county council in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much was spent on taxis to transport pupils to and from school by Essex county council in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The Department does not routinely collect the data requested.

Schools Admissions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what factors he took into account when deciding that schools that select up to 10 per cent. of their intake by aptitude in permitted subjects will be exempt from the restriction on giving higher priority to siblings of existing pupils under paragraph 2.13 of the draft Schools Admissions Code; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The new School Admissions Code will establish a framework for school admissions that is fair to all families whatever their social group or background. Giving priority to siblings of children already at a school supports families, especially those with young children, but it also reduces the number of places available to children from other families, including those where the eldest child has yet to start school or where there is a gap of several years between children. This was recognised by the Education and Skills Select Committee in its 2004 report on Secondary School Admissions. While supporting the use of this criterion, the Committee was concerned that when used in schools with significant degrees of selection or where it did not take account of families that had since moved to another area, it would substantially reduce the number of places available to other families. The draft Code accordingly states that schools that select more than 10 per cent. of their intake by ability or aptitude should not use the criterion. This is not an absolute prohibition, schools may continue to use it if they can justify doing so, if an objection is made to the schools adjudicator.

Schools Admissions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools are permitted to use pre-existing partial selection by ability under section 100 of the Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998; and how many of those have admissions arrangements that allow for  (a) 10 per cent. or less and  (b) more than 10 per cent. of pupils to be selected on the basis of ability.

Jim Knight: 39 schools are known to operate forms of selection permitted under section 100 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998; 36 of thesehave admission arrangements that allow for more than 10 per cent. of their intake to be selected on the basis of ability each year.

Schools Admissions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many representations his Department has received  (a) in favour of and  (b) opposed to permitting partially-selective schools from giving priority to admissions of siblings in the past12 months.

Jim Knight: To date, we have received more than 1,150 responses to the consultation on the new School Admissions Code on this issue. All responses will be analysed after the consultation ends on 1 December 2006. A decision will then be made on the final provisions to be included in the School Admissions Code on which we will seek the approval of Parliament.

Social Deprivation

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that small areas of social deprivation receive assistance under funding initiatives in his Department.

Jim Knight: The formula used to calculate Schools Formula Spending Share (FSS) for 2005-06 and previous years took account of the extra spending needed by those authorities with areas of social deprivation. Since the formula for Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) starts from local authorities' spending on schools for 2005-06, and that is closely related to their Schools FSS, each authority's DSG allocation will take account of the extra spending needed by authorities with areas of social deprivation. As part of the review of school funding, we are considering what measures of social deprivation should be used in the allocation of DSG for 2008-09 onwards and whether a more fine gained measure is practical. We expect to consult on proposals in the spring.
	In addition, between 2001 and 2006, 81 Excellence Clusters were set up to provide targeted resources and guidance for secondary schools in the most disadvantaged communities and focused on leadership, behaviour, teaching and learning. The schools in these Clusters continue to receive additional funding through the School Development Grant from 2006. From September 2004, the Excellence in Cities programme was expanded to provide additional resources to primary schools in disadvantaged areas, to raise standards and tackle barriers to learning.
	The formulae used to distribute nearly all of the Department's other resources for children, young people and family services take account of the level of social deprivation in each area. The formulae have been developed in conjunction with local government and are kept under review.

State Boarding Schools

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many places were available in state boarding schools in  (a) Oxfordshire and  (b) Wantage constituency in each year since 1976.

Jim Knight: Available data for Oxfordshire are presented in the following table. There are no state boarding schools in the Wantage constituency.
	
		
			   Headcount  Number of boarders 
			 1987 1,126 102 
			 1988 1,124 110 
			 1989 1,116 102 
			 1990 1,093 88 
			 1991 1,138 90 
			 1992 1,202 82 
			 1993 1,226 50 
			 1994 1,197 77 
			 1995 1,190 83 
			 1996 1,158 69 
			 1997 1,076 75 
			 1998 1,029 83 
			 1999 1,023 82 
			 2000 1,035 82 
			 2001 1,034 82 
			 2002 1,011 84 
			 2003 1,089 75 
			 2004 1,127 74 
			 2005 1,140 78 
			 2006 1,155 72 
			  Source: Annual Schools Census.

Tamworth (Higher Education)

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people from Tamworth constituency applied to attend university in the UK in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: Details of applicants by constituency are not held by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
	The figures in the following table give the latest information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on the number of undergraduate entrants from Tamworth; figures for 2005/06 will be available in January 2007.
	
		
			  Undergraduate entrants to higher education courses at all UK institutions from the parliamentary constituency of Tamworth 
			  Academic year  Number 
			 2000/01 745 
			 2001/02 795 
			 2002/03 675 
			 2003/04 785 
			 2004/05 715 
			  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and are rounded to the nearest 5.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Teacher Training

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students successfully completed post graduate teacher training qualifications in each year since 1997, broken down by sex.

Jim Knight: The following table provides data on students on post graduate teacher training programmes gaining qualified teacher status (QTS) by gender in academic years 1998/99 to 2004/05, the latest year for which data are available. Data for 1997/98 are not available in the format requested.
	
		
			  Primary and secondary post graduate teacher training students gaining QTS 
			   1998/99  1999/2000  2000/01  2001/02  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05 
			 Female 10,890 10,630 11,860 12,400 13,930 15,430 15,710 
			 Male 4,280 4,210 4,290 4,540 5,250 6,030 6,070 
			 Total 15,160 14,850 16,150 16,940 19,180 21,460 21,780 
			  Notes:  1. Includes those trained through SCITTs, but excludes completers through employment based routes.  2. Figures are individually rounded to the nearest 10 and may not sum.  Source:  IDA performance profiles.

Teacher Training

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information on the number of teachers teaching by subject he has collected since25 October 2006.

Jim Knight: No such information has been collected.

Teachers

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers were recruited from overseas in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Teachers

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many members of the Teachers Pension Scheme are staff of independent schools; and what  (a) administrative and  (b) other costs are met by his Department to support those members.

Jim Knight: As at 31 March 2005, 51,260 teachers at independent schools were members of the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) out of a total TPS active membership of 590,032. The TPS is administered under contract by Capita Business Services Ltd under a fixed price contract with an annual fee of around9 million. That contract fee is not disaggregated between administration costs associated with the different educational sectors. In addition, the Department meets the costs of TPS actuarial and medical advisory services, which total in the region of 500,000 per annum.

Teachers

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers took early retirement in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) sex and  (b) type of institution from which they retired.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the number of teachers who took early retirement, (defined as before the normal pension age of 60 on premature, actuarially reduced (ARB) or ill health grounds) in each year from 1997-98 to 2005-06 broken down by sex and type of institution.
	
		
			  Early retirements by type of institution( 1)  and sex, 1997-98 to 2005-06 
			   Maintained sector  Other sectors( 2)   
			  Financial year  Nursery/primary  Secondary  Special/PRU  Total maintained sector  Independent  Further and higher education  Unknown  Total all sectors 
			  1997-98( 3) 
			 Men 1,520 3,780 250 5,540 500 3,590 130 9,770 
			 Women 5,260 3,360 470 9,090 690 1,970 150 11,900 
			 Total 6,780 7,140 710 14,630 1,200 5,560 280 21,670 
			  1998-99 
			 Men 470 1,200 120 1,790 80 370 110 2,350 
			 Women 1,650 1,070 150 2,870 100 200 60 3,230 
			 Total 2,120 2,270 270 4,660 180 570 170 5,580 
			  1999-2000 
			 Men 510 1,390 90 1,990 70 350 70 2,470 
			 Women 1,740 1,100 140 2,980 120 230 70 3,390 
			 Total 2,250 2,490 240 4,970 180 580 130 5,870 
			  2000-01 
			 Men 700 1,480 130 2,310 90 500 50 2,940 
			 Women 2,050 1,260 200 3,500 170 330 60 4,060 
			 Total 2,740 2,730 330 5,800 260 830 110 7,000 
			  2001-02 
			 Men 610 1,530 110 2,250 140 620 60 3,060 
			 Women 1,970 1,400 240 3,610 230 390 50 4,290 
			 Total 2,580 2,930 350 5,860 370 1,010 110 7,350 
			  2002-03 
			 Men 630 1,550 110 2,280 150 690 60 3,180 
			 Women 2,050 1,450 210 3,710 250 460 80 4,490 
			 Total 2,680 2,990 320 5,990 400 1,150 130 7,670 
			  2003-04 
			 Men 680 1,890 110 2,680 170 620 80 3,550 
			 Women 2,270 1,660 210 4,130 230 410 120 4,890 
			 Total 2,940 3,540 320 6,810 400 1,030 200 8,440 
			 2004-05(4) 
			 Men 750 2,140 130 3,030 190 720 90 4,020 
			 Women 2,540 1,860 210 4,610 260 520 150 5,540 
			 Total 3,290 4,000 350 7,640 450 1,240 230 9,560 
			 2005-06(4) 
			 Men 730 2,370 120 3,220 240 750 120 4,320 
			 Women 2,640 2,010 260 4,900 350 540 160 5,950 
			 Total 3,370 4,370 380 8,120 590 1,290 270 10,270 
			 (1) The last known institution where the teacher was in teaching service which may have been some years before the date of retirement. (2) Including only those retirements from independent and further and higher education establishments covered under the Teachers(1) Pensions Scheme. (3) The effect of the change in the Teachers' Pensions Scheme, from 31 August 1997, was that many more teachers took early retirement in 1997 than in other years. Actuarially Reduced Benefits are included from 2000-01. (4) Data are provisional.   Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:DfES, Pensioner statistical system.

York Students

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students from City of York  (a) attended university courses and  (b) received student loans to attend university courses in each year since 1996/97.

Bill Rammell: The latest available data for York local authority for the academic years 1996/97 to 2005/06 are given in the table.
	
		
			  Academic year  Number of students( 1)  Students eligible for an income-contingent loan( 2) 
			 1996/97 3,515 n/a 
			 1997/98 3,570 n/a 
			 1998/99 3,755 n/a 
			 1999/2000 3,700 1,755 
			 2000/01 3,920 2,485 
			 2001/02 4,035 2,830 
			 2002/03 4,240 2,960 
			 2003/04 4,625 2,965 
			 2004/05 4,790 2,935 
			 2005/06 (provisional) n/a 3,020 
			 (1) Figures are for students domiciled in York local authority. They are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest 5. Figures cover students from part-time and full-time modes of study on undergraduate courses, they exclude students on writing up, sabbatical and dormant modes of study. (2) Figures are for students domiciled in York local authority and numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) for student numbers and Student Loans Company (SLC) for students eligible for an income-contingent loan. 
		
	
	Data specifically on students receiving a loan are not available, therefore, numbers of applicants eligible for a loan have been provided. Numbers of students in receipt of a loan will be slightly lower than those applicants eligible for a loan.
	Figures for student numbers for 2005/06 will be available in January 2007.

York Students

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much government funding was provided to  (a) the University of York and  (b) University College of York St. John in each year since 1996/97 (i) in cash terms and (ii) at current prices.

Bill Rammell: The following table has details of the actual grant payments made to the two HEIs:  (a) the University of York and  (b) University College of York St. John. This only sets out funding provided by the Higher Education Funding Council and excludes any other public funding which the universities might have received in these years.
	
		
			  Institution totals by financial year 
			  FY  York University  York St. John University  Total 
			 1996-97 23,151,118 5,177,945 28,329,063 
			 1997-98 24,607,669 5,077,649 29,685,318 
			 1998-99 25,288,237 5,353,064 30,641,301 
			 1999-2000 29,466,696 6,369,623 35,836,319 
			 2000-01 29,745,118 7,138,239 36,883,357 
			 2001-02 37,299,021 7,513,155 44,812,176 
			 2002-03 38,975,653 11,676,118 50,651,771 
			 2003-04 47,480,474 8,691,070 56,171,544 
			 2004-05 50,790,659 11,151,782 61,942,441 
			 2005-06 52,554,437 10,703,760 63,258,197 
			 2006-07 50,351,626 13,667,819 64,019,445 
			 Total 409,710,708 92,520,224 502,230,932 
		
	
	The figures are the actual cash value of the grants received by the institutions in each year, the DfES do not hold this information at current prices.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour Orders (Wirral)

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in Wirral in 2006-07 to date.

Vernon Coaker: 20 antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in Wirral up to the 30 September 2005, from data provided by the courts. This is in addition to using other tools and powers, such as closing crack houses. These measures bring real respite for hard-pressed communities. We must and we will do more to tackle antisocial behaviour and its underlying causes.

Police Force Amalgamations

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received concerning the reimbursement of costs arising from aborted police force amalgamations.

Tony McNulty: Since the announcement on30 October of the contributions being offered to police authorities for their additional costs, we have received a small number of representations on this issue from hon. Members (including the Member for St. Albans herself), police authorities and police forces and from members of the public seeking clarification of the offers being made.

Prison Population

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the likely prison population in 12 months' time.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The projected prison population of July 2006 uses three long-term scenarios based on assumptions about sentencing trends and legislation; high medium and low. November 2007 projections for the high, medium and low scenarios are 82,430, 81,020 and 79,600 respectively.

Probation Service

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the Probation Service in reducing the re-offending rate.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The latest re-offending results for adults were published on 9 November 2006. The results show that the re-offending rate has been reduced by3.4 per cent. in 2003 in comparison to 1997, compared to a predicted rate. The Government are committedto reducing re-offending by 10 per cent. by 2010. Re-offending performance is not measured at probation service level.

Probation Service

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department what recent guidance his Department has issued to the Probation Service in connection with the monitoring of offenders when released from prison on licence.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Since January 2005, three probation circulars have been issued containing specific national guidance for the monitoring and supervision of offenders on licence in the community. In April 2005, revised national standards were issued, setting out the minimum requirements for contact with and the production of management plans for offenders on licence.

Identity Cards

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the costs of identity cards to be met by  (a) the holder and  (b) the public purse were the cards to become compulsory.

Liam Byrne: No decision on the fee structure for identity cards has yet been made.

People Trafficking

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce the trafficking of women for sexual exploitation.

Vernon Coaker: We have established the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC) to deliver a diverse set of programmes, including targeted campaigns to prevent and reduce trafficking in human beings.
	We are also undertaking awareness raising and capacity building work in source and transit countries.

People Trafficking

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the UK Government will sign up to the European Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings.

Vernon Coaker: The UK is currently considering whether to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.
	The Government are examining how the Convention's approach could best be harmonised with effective immigration controls.

Foreign Prisoners

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps he has taken to ensure that foreign prisoners are deported following their release from prison.

Liam Byrne: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary set out to the House on 9 October 2006 the steps we are taking to ensure the deportation of foreign national prisoners who meet the criteria for deportation.
	We are currently not releasing any foreign national prisoners who ought to be considered for deportation before such consideration is completed.

Legislative Provisions (Effectiveness)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to review the effectiveness of legislative provisions within the responsibility of his Department that have come into force since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office continues to consult with stakeholders and partners at both national and international levels to ensure that the key legislative measures already implemented are sufficient to protect the public and further reduce crime.

Prison Anti-drugs Strategies

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding was provided to prison anti-drugs strategies in 2005-06; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Funding for the prison drug strategy has grown year on yearan increase of 215 per cent. from 1999 to a record level of 108 million invested in 2006.

Domestic Violence

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to tackle domestic violence; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Government are committed to tackling domestic violence and has made significant progress, primarily through the introduction of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, which is now supported by a cross-Government national delivery plan.
	These measures deliver justice for victims basedon better policing, better prosecution and the establishment of over 50 specialist domestic violence courts, which help ensure perpetrators are brought to justice. Through the national delivery plan we are also providing improved help and support for all victims.

Crime Statistics

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences were committed by people on trial in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: It is not possible to identify the number of offences committed by people on trial, as the data held centrally are not collected at that level of detail.

Drugs

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) arrests and  (b) convictions of drugs dealers there were in London in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Arrests data for drug offences by offence type are not collected centrally. The available information relates to the number of persons found guilty or cautioned under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 of unlawful supply and possession with intent to supply between 1997 and 2004.
	Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, police forces and other agencies. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
	
		
			  Number of persons found guilty of drug dealing( 1 ) offences, City of London and Metropolitan police force areas, 1997 to 2004 
			   City of London  Metropolitan 
			 1997 20 1,621 
			 1998 1 1,648 
			 1999 3 1,485 
			 2000 2 1,154 
			 2001 6 1,281 
			 2002 17 1,381 
			 2003 11 1,418 
			 2004 6 1,413 
			 (1) Unlawful supply and possession with intent to supply unlawfully. 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of persons cautioned for drug dealing( 1)  offences, City of London and Metropolitan police force areas, 1997 to 2004 
			   City of London  Metropolitan 
			 1997 1 245 
			 1998 4 299 
			 1999 1 213 
			 2000 7 205 
			 2001 1 183 
			 2002 2 169 
			 2003 3 184 
			 2004 4 253 
			 (1 )Unlawful supply and possession with intent to supply unlawfully.

Ethnic Groups (Criminal Activities)

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will undertake research into potential links between ethnic groups and particular criminal activities better to inform police investigations.

Vernon Coaker: Building up an in-depth understanding of the nature of crimeand victimisationin particular communities is a fundamental part of good operational policing.
	At the national level, the Offending, Crime and Justice Survey conducted by the Home Office in 2003 examined self-reported offending across different ethnic groups. The research found that, controlling for the age profile of the different groups, White persons continued to have a higher than average rate for offending in the last year, while for those of mixed ethnic origin there was no difference from the national average. Asian and black persons had lower offending rates.
	The Office for Criminal Justice Reform, as part of its wider research programme, is conducting research in order better to understand the over-representation of members of black and minority ethnic communities in the criminal justice system, including the over-representation of these groups as victims of crime.

Eye Tests (Motorists)

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many eye tests the police have conducted on motorists in each of the last five years; and what proportion of drivers tested had eyesight below the required level.

Vernon Coaker: The information is not held centrally.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish his Department's gender equality scheme.

Liam Byrne: In line with the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Public Authorities)(Statutory Duties) Order 2006 (No. 2930), laid on 10 November 2006, we expect to publish my Department's gender equality scheme by30 April 2007.

HMYOI Huntercombe

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will assess the effect on  (a) safety and  (b) child protection of the late arrival of young offenders at HM Young Offender Institution Huntercombe, Oxfordshire.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 28 November 2006
	The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales is aware of the effects of late arrival and is addressing the problem across the young offender institutions. The national reception procedures provide that, where, because of late arrival or for other reasons, a full vulnerability assessment cannot immediately be made, the young person must be managed as vulnerable pending full assessment.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average delay is in processing applications by the immigration and nationality directorate for variation of leave to remain in the United Kingdom.

Liam Byrne: The requested information is not available and could only be obtained by examination of individual records at a disproportionate cost. The immigration and nationality directorate measure progress against their published service standards and these are shown on the immigration and nationality directorate website at:
	www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/6353/11464/servicestandardsjuly.xls.

Ministerial Travel

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the occasions since he has held his present office when he has used  (a) rail services,  (b) the London Underground,  (c) tram or light railway services and  (d) buses in connection with his ministerial duties.

John Reid: I have made 14 journeys by train in connection with his ministerial duties. I endeavour to use public transport wherever possible and practical to complete my journeys taking into account security considerations. All such travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in 'Travel by Ministers'.

Mobile Phones (Driving)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices were issued in Essex for using hand-held  (a) mobile telephones and  (b) other electronic devices when driving a motor vehicle in each year since the offence was introduced.

Vernon Coaker: Available information taken from the annual Home Office publication Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales Supplementary tables, 2003 to 2004 (latest available) is given in the table. The data provided are unable to separately identify the use of hand held device or similar hand held devices while driving. 2005 data will be available in 2007.
	
		
			  Fixed penalty notices issued for the offence of use of hand held mobile phone while driving( 1,2 ) within Essex police force area, 2003-04 
			   Fixed penalty notices issued (number of offences) 
			 2003  
			 2004 2,461 
			 '' = nil fixed penalty notices issued. (1) Offences under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, Regulations 110 (1), 110 (2) and 110 (3). (Introduced 1 December 2003). (2) Includes hand held mobile phone or similar hand-held devices while driving.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.

National Identity Register

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether data from the National Identity Register may be shared with private sector organisations.

Joan Ryan: Under the Identity Cards Act, accredited private sector organisations may be provided with a limited set of information to enable them to verify a person's identity as laid out in section 12 of the Act. This can only be done with that person's consent and there are no powers to share data with private sector organisations for other purposes.

Organised Crime

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to ensure that information on the activities of organised criminals is shared between police forces in England and the Northern Constabulary; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The sharing of information between forces on individual organised criminals is an operational matter for chief officers of police. At a national level the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) each year produces a national intelligence requirement for serious organised crime which is sent to all police forces in the UK and acts as a guide to identifying gaps in knowledge and priorities for filling them. SOCA also produces a threat assessment which describes the current knowledge of the various serious organised crime threats to the UK.

Organised Crime

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made by the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the potential for organised criminal gangs to extend their activities to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

Vernon Coaker: The Serious Organised Crime Agency's current assessment of the threat to the UK from serious organised crime is contained within the 2006-07 UK Threat Assessment, which was published on 2 July 2006. The Threat Assessment focuses on the threat to the UK as a whole, rather than looking at specific UK geographical areas. However, new and emerging trends in organised crime are addressed within the Threat Assessment, where appropriate. The UK Threat Assessment is currently being updated for 2007-08 and publication is planned for spring 2007.

Prisoner Education

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prisons have received funding to improve their education facilities in each of the last five years; how much each received; and on what the money was spent in each prison.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table shows education building projects funded by the National Offender Management Service since 2002. The date shown reflect the year when the facilities were ready for use. Where a value of 0 is shown, the project was completed but the expenditure included within another project.
	
		
			  Establishment  Project  Total () 
			  2002   
			 Low Newton Ready to Use (RTU) education ancillaries 141,720 
			 Drake Hall New education building(1) 1,482,715 
			 Thorn Cross New education building 229,448 
			 Stoke Heath New education building 815,715 
			 Brinsford New education block 921,739 
			 Lancaster Farms Extend education facilities 440,682 
			 Castington New education building 941,002 
			 Huntercombe New education building and extend workshop 917,000 
			
			  2003   
			 Lancaster Farms Education classrooms 390,187 
			 Hindley Separation: New education building and workshop 2,620,378 
			 Birmingham Education building and sports hall 4,336,149 
			 Reading Develop vocational training centre 374,360 
			 Gartree Training classroom for kitchen 0 
			 Deerbolt RTU education ancillaries 297,279 
			
			  2004   
			 Wetherby Additional education building 1,113,576 
			 Featherstone Learning pod for vocational training centre textile workshop 0 
			 Send Learning pod for workshop area 0 
			 Durham Assessment centre 620,270 
			 Hull Expansion schemeeducation/kitchen/workshop 3,842,707 
			 Glen Parva Assessment centre 228,864 
			 Drake Hall Modular library 234,458 
			 Lewes Assessment centre 139,796 
			 Brinsford Horticultural classroom pod 0 
			 Swinfen Hall Basic skills pod for workshop area 0 
			 Swinfen Hall ITC classroom for library 0 
			 Featherstone Learning pod for cleaning course 0 
			 Eastwood Park Assessment centre and basic skills classroom, update library, kitchen classroom 156,500 
			 Spring Hill Horticultural learning pod 0 
			 Leyhill Modular library 111,000 
			 High Down Assessment and careers centre 272,433 
			 Swaleside Restructure and develop workshop area 291,090 
			 East Sutton Park Enhanced education facilities 410,820 
			 Downview Industrial cleaning pod 287,482 
			 Dartmoor 2 workshop pods 146,300 
			 Northallerton Induction and assessment facility 455,489 
			 Lancaster Upgrade library 0 
			 Wayland Kitchen learning pod 94,966 
			 Guys Marsh Library extension 288,121 
			 Latchmere House Library 147,836 
			 Erlestoke New vocational training kitchen 235,212 
			 Garth 4 classrooms in workshop 175,234 
			 Belmarsh Assessment centre 346,864 
			 Kirkham New library 0 
			 Bullwood Hall Horticultural pod classroom 471,417 
			 Haverigg Refurbish/extend library 2,717 
			 Manchester Kitchen learning pod 0 
			 Brinsford Extend activities centre 622,543 
			 Stocken Combined kitchen/PE classroom building 167,419 
			 Ashwell Pod for kitchen 139,000 
			 North Sea Camp Modular library 134,000 
			 Wellingborough Multi function learning are and teaching area for vocational training workshop 0 
			 Albany RTU ancillarieseducation 1,240,230 
			 Liverpool Assessment centre 479,777 
			
			  2005   
			 Risley Provide modular classroom 148,028 
			 Maidstone New education facilities(1) 2,873,793 
			 New Hall New education facilities(1) 2,121,716 
			 Wymott Extend library 0 
			 Downview New education facilities(1) 564,592 
			 (1) As part of wider works at the prisontotal cost includes all building/refurbishment work. The table excludes funding provided for improving or expanding educational facilities within prisons when additional accommodation is constructed. The amount spent for each prison on educational facilities is not held centrally. The DFES has also provided over 25 million capital funding over the last five years for improvements to education premises and training equipment for workshops and classrooms. Information on DFES expenditure for individual prisons is not held centrally.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women with a home address in Wales were  (a) held on remand and  (b) serving prison sentences on 23 November, broken down by (i) prison and (ii) age.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information closest to that requested is provided in the table.
	
		
			  Women prisoners with a home address( 1)  in Wales broken down by type of sentence and age as at 30 September 2006 
			   Remand / Trials / Convicted unsentenced prisoners  Sentenced prisoners  
			  Prison  Adult  Young offenders  Adult  Young offenders  Total 
			 Askham Grange 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Bronzefield 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Cookham Wood 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Downview 0 0 6 0 6 
			 Drake Hall 0 0 18 1 19 
			 East Sutton Park 0 0 2 0 2 
			 Eastwood Park 22 6 43 10 81 
			 Foston Hall 0 0 15 0 15 
			 Holloway 0 0 3 0 3 
			 Low Newton 0 0 1 1 2 
			 Morton Hall 0 0 1 0 1 
			 New Hall 0 0 2 1 3 
			 Peterborough 1 0 8 0 9 
			 Send 0 0 19 0 19 
			 Styal 4 3 8 5 20 
			 Total 27 9 129 18 183 
			 (1) In identifying prisoners with a Welsh home address, court addresses have been used where no home address has been provided.

Prisons

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the role of the Prison Service Fraud Investigation Unit is in the investigation of performance data submitted by prison establishments to area offices; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 4 December 2006
	The Prison Service Fraud Investigation Unit has no role in the investigation of performance data submitted by prison establishments to area offices. It is for the Prison Service Planning Group and Area Managers to take up issues relating to performance data.

PRIME MINISTER

Act of Union

Charles Hendry: To ask the Prime Minister what plans the Government have made for the official celebrations of the 300th Anniversary of the Act of Union on 1 May 2007.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Alexander) on 7 November 2006,  Official Report, column 695, to the hon. Member for Upminster (Angela Watkinson).

Briefing Material

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the books pertaining to the European Union which have been supplied to him by civil servants as background reading material since May 1997.

Tony Blair: The information requested is not held.

Donated Asset Reserve

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons each item held by Downing street from the Donated Asset Reserve since 2004 has been retained.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 27 November 2006,  Official Report, column 330W.

Donated Asset Reserve

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister what depreciation has occurred of gifts held by 10 Downing street as part of the Donated Asset Reserve since 1997.

Tony Blair: The current monetary value of any gift could accurately be assessed only by professional valuation.

Interpretation Costs

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what the most recent estimate is of the annual cost to the Government of interpreting for non-English speakers in the UK;
	(2)  what the most recent estimate is of the annual cost to the Government of supplying language assistance to non-English speakers within the UK;
	(3)  what the most recent estimate is of the annual cost of translating Government English language texts into other languages for distribution in the UK.

Tony Blair: The information requested is not held centrally and is a matter for individual Departments.

Leak Inquiries

Anne Main: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions his Office has conducted a leak inquiry since May 1997; what the subjects of those leak inquiries were; and who authorised each inquiry.

Tony Blair: In order to safeguard security and investigative arrangements, it has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on leak inquiries.

Ministerial Bank Accounts

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister whether interest paid to Ministers from offshore bank accounts is declarable under the ministerial code.

Tony Blair: Section 5 of the ministerial code provides guidance to Ministers on the handling of their financial interests.

Official Engagements

Mark Francois: To ask the Prime Minister what guests have attended official dinners at No. 10 Downing street in the last 12 months.

Tony Blair: It is a matter of public record that both my officials and I entertain guests such as foreign leaders and other dignatories at 10 Downing street. A list of guests is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Peerages

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister how many life peers were created in each parliamentary term since 1976.

Tony Blair: Details of all peerages are published in the  London Gazette, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Peerages

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many peerage nomination forms members of his Government have  (a) been involved in completing and  (b) signed;
	(2)  whether any nomination forms for peerages which were brought to his attention were accompanied by covering material indicating Labour party funding links;
	(3)  whether he has acted as a character witness for any nominations for peerages;
	(4)  whether he has signed any nomination forms for peerages;
	(5)  who in the Government holds copies of nominations forms for peerages;
	(6)  how many nomination forms for peerages have been submitted since 1997 in which members of the Government were referred to;
	(7)  whether any nomination form for a peerage which has been brought to his attention was accompanied by covering material indicating that the applicant was involved in  (a) a public-private partnership,  (b) a private finance initiative scheme and  (c) similar sponsorship of Government projects.

Tony Blair: As has been the practice of successive Governments, nomination forms and the process for nominations, are confidential.

Policy Tsars

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the policy tsars established since May 1997; what the budget has been of each; what personal expenses have been claimed by each; what the pay grade is of each; what policy initiatives have been launched by each; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefits (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) men and  (b) women in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk constituencywere in receipt of (i) disability living allowance and(ii) income support at (A) 30 December 2005,(B) 30 March 2006, (C) 30 June 2006 and (D)30 September 2006.

Anne McGuire: Information is not available for the dates requested. The available information after December 2005 is in the tables.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance claimants, cases in payment February to May 2006 in Berwickshire Roxborough and Selkirk 
			  Quarter  Total  Female  Male 
			 May 2006 4,260 2,090 2,170 
			 February 2006 4,250 2,090 2,160 
		
	
	
		
			  Income support claimants, February to May 2006 in Berwickshire Roxborough and Selkirk 
			  Quarter  Total  Female  Male 
			 May 2006 2,390 1,370 1,020 
			 February 2006 2,410 1,380 1,030 
			  Notes:  1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, breakdowns may not sum to totals.  2. Disability allowance shows cases in payment.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Bereavement Payments

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department takes to ensure that spouses and civil partners of people who have died are made aware of the possibility of claiming bereavement payments.

James Plaskitt: We work in partnership with funeral directors, Registrars and voluntary groups such as Cruse, National Association of Widows and Citizens Advice Bureaux to ensure that spouses and civil partners of spouses and partners who have died are made aware of the possibility of claiming for bereavement payments.
	In 2005, a joint Government initiative, the Bereavement Journey Future Vision Project, made recommendations to support the ongoing efforts of Departments to reduce bureaucracy for bereaved people. This has already led to the re-design of the cross Government leaflets D49 What to do after a death in England and Wales and D49S What to do after a death in Scotland.
	We will continue to look for opportunities across Government to improve advice about bereavement benefits to those most in need of it.

Blindness/Visual Impairment

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures his Department is taking to ensure that blind people are given support for extra mobility costs.

Anne McGuire: People who are blind or have visual impairments and require guidance or supervision from another person when walking out of doors on unfamiliar routes can receive the lower rate mobility component of disability living allowance to help meet their mobility-related extra costs. Blind people who are also physically unable, or virtually unable, to walk, or are both blind and deaf, can qualify for the higher rate of the mobility component.
	In addition visually impaired people who are employed or have a job to start could receive help through the Access to Work programme. Access to Work is a specialist disability programme delivered by Jobcentre Plus, which provides practical advice and support to disabled people and their employers to help them overcome work related obstacles resulting from disability. It does this through a system of grants towards the cost of providing support. A grant could be offered to cover the extra cost of using taxis to get to and from work for someone unable to use public transport, or to pay for a travel buddy to allow someone with a new or worsening visual impairment to undertake mobility training and move towards independent travel.

Blindness/Visual Impairment

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make provision for those registered blind and with severe sight problems to receive the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance.

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will bring forward proposals to extend eligibility for the higher mobility rate component of disability living allowance to visually impaired people.

Anne McGuire: The higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance is for people who are physically unable, or virtually unable, to walk. It is also available to people who are both deaf and blind and require the assistance of another person to walk to any intended or required destination when out of doors because this combination of circumstances means that they are virtually unable to walk. Blind people who are not also physically unable, or virtually unable, to walk can qualify for the lower rate of the mobility component if they require guidance or supervision from another person when walking out of doors on unfamiliar routes. We are discussing with the Royal National Institute for the Blind whether there is scope for improving the help with mobility-related extra costs for blind and partially sighted people.

Carers

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of how many  (a) carers there are in the UK and  (b) hours on average they spend fulfilling their caring responsibilities; and what estimate he has made of the cost per hour of care to the public purse if such care was not provided.

Anne McGuire: There are an estimated 5.9 million carers in the UK. Information about the average number of hours they spend caring is not available. However according to the 2001 census it is estimated that 68 per cent. of them provide care for one to 19 hours a week, 11 per cent. provide care for 20 to 49 hours a week, and 21 per cent. provide care for 50 or more hours a week. Estimates are not available of what the cost per hour of care would be to the public purse if unpaid informal carers were not providing this care.

Carers

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with whom responsibility lies for informing parents and carers of profoundly disabled children in receipt of disability living allowance of their possible entitlement to carer's allowance.

Anne McGuire: It is the responsibility of individuals to find out about the benefits to which they may be entitled. The Department's responsibility is to ensure that information about claiming benefits is widely available and accessible.
	However the Department is constantly striving to improve the way it communicates information about benefits to people who are caring for a severely disabled person. The disability living allowance claim pack for a child aged under 16, like the claim pack for adults, contains information about claiming carer's allowance. In addition information and advice about entitlement to carer's allowance and other benefits are available from a wide range of Government, local authority, health service and voluntary organisation outlets.

Child Tax Credit

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to improve  (a) the awareness of and  (b) access to child tax credit, with particular reference to families who do not speak English; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Child tax credit is featured in many DWP products, such as the Direct gov website, leaflets and information pages within claim forms. The Department provides support and guidance for customers who do not speak English in a number of different ways. Many leaflets are available in a number of languages and customers may request written information in any language; immediate telephone interpreting support is available from 'the big word'; face to face interpreters can be arranged within one working day of the request being made, and local community interpreters and multi-lingual staff can be used to help customers access services.
	Jobcentre Plus staff are expected to assist new benefit customers with children to claim child tax credit and to report changes of circumstance. For customers making a new claim to either income support or jobseekers allowance (income based) and a new claim to tax credits, a fast-track process is used where HMRC aim to process the claim within seven calendar days. Staff also provide tax credit leaflets on request and refer customers where appropriate to HMRC advice-lines.
	Disability living allowance child claim forms include contact numbers for customers who want more information about child tax credit and ask if the customer is receiving child tax credit.
	Benefits enquiry line (BEL) advisors will make customers aware of the provision of child tax credit if there is a child in the family. If no child tax credit is being paid, advisors will signpost the customer to the tax credit help line. Similarly, helpline staff signpost any calls regarding child tax credit to the appropriate area, using 'Thebigword' translation service if the customer requires it.

Departmental Contact Centres

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls there were to his Department's contact centres in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: Calls offered to the Department's contact centres during normal business hours were 45,389,592 between October 2005 and September 2006.

Departmental Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the annual real growth of his Department's spending in each year from 2010-11 to 2020-21, assuming  (a) the basic state pension is linked to earnings from 2010,  (b) all other benefits are linked to the retail price index (RPI) and  (c) administration costs grow in line with the RPI; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: The information is in the table.
	
		
			  Annual real growth in overall Department for Work and Pensions' spending from 2010-11 to 2020-21 
			   Percentage 
			 2010-11 to 2011-12 1.8 
			 2011-12 to 2012-13 2.0 
			 2012-13 to 2013-14 1.7 
			 2013-14 to 2014-15 1.7 
			 2014-15 to 2015-16 1.6 
			 2015-16 to 2016-17 1.7 
			 2016-17 to 2017-18 1.6 
			 2017-18 to 2018-19 1.7 
			 2018-19 to 2019-20 1.6 
			 2019-20 to 2020-21 1.7 
			  Notes:  1. Administration costs in the question have been interpreted to mean the total departmental expenditure limit (DEL), which includes administration, programme and capital expenditure. The latest DEL figures available relate to 2007-08, they have been grown by the retail price index and carried forward to future years.  2. The answer is based on combined AME and DEL expenditure.  3. The Department does not uprate all benefits, nor it's administration expenditure, in the way stipulated in the question and so the resultant answer bears no comparison to what actually happens.  4. The answer as it stands has been entirely constructed as a mathematical exercise.  5. Any potential impact from the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) in 2007 has not been included. It is worth bearing in mind that during CSR 2007 the Department is being asked to take a 5 per cent. real terms cut per annum in it's departmental expenditure limit expenditure.  Source:  The answer has been based on existing long term projections of benefit expenditure, that is annually managed expenditure (AME), for Great Britain, adjusted to use the assumptions contained in the question.

Housing Benefit

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many housing benefit claimants subject to the single room rent restriction are  (a) under 21 years and  (b) 21 years or older;
	(2)  how many housing benefit claimants subject to the single room rent restriction are  (a) under and  (b) over 21 years old.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available, as the total cannot be split accurately by age.

Incapacity Benefit

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Midlothian were claiming incapacity benefit at November 2006.

Anne McGuire: May 2006 is the latest available data. The number of incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement allowance (SDA) claimants at 31 May 2006 in the Midlothian parliamentary constituency was 4,220.
	 Notes
	1. IB figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	2. Claimant figures include all IB and SDA (including IB credits only cases).
	3. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory.
	 Source
	DWP Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. Data.

Incapacity Benefit

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in  (a) Redbridge and  (b) Waltham Forest are in receipt of incapacity benefit; and how many of these people have been in receipt of incapacity benefit for (i) up to one year, (ii) one to two years, (iii) two to five years and (iv) over five years.

Anne McGuire: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimants in local authorities of Waltham Forest and Redbridge (up to May 2006) 
			  Local authority  All  Up to one year  One year and up to two years  Two years and up to five years  Five years and over 
			 Waltham Forest 10,110 1,580 940 2,300 5,290 
			 Redbridge 9,280 1,450 960 2,150 4,730 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding.  Source: DWP Information Directorate

Industrial Injuries Benefit

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of industrial injuries benefits in each year since 1996-97; and what the projected costs are in each year up to 2008-09.

Jim Murphy: The available information is in the tables.
	
		
			  Cost of industrial injuries benefits, Great Britain 
			   millionCash Terms 
			   Industrial disablement benefits  Industrial death benefit  Other industrial injuries benefits 
			 1996-97 685 55 3 
			 1997-98 690 55 2 
			 1998-99 710 49 2 
			 1999-2000 700 52 2 
			 2000-01 708 49 2 
			 2001-02 727 49 2 
			 2002-03 733 48 2 
			 2003-04 737 46 1 
			 2004-05 754 43 1 
			 2005-06 754 41 1 
			 2006-07 752 38 1 
			 2007-08 756 35 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Cost of industrial injuries benefits, Great Britain 
			   millionsReal Terms, 2006-07 prices 
			   Industrial disablement benefits  Industrial death benefit  Other industrial injuries benefits 
			 1996-97 867 70 4 
			 1997-98 848 67 3 
			 1998-99 850 59 2 
			 1999-2000 822 61 2 
			 2000-01 821 57 2 
			 2001-02 823 55 2 
			 2002-03 804 53 2 
			 2003-04 787 49 1 
			 2004-05 788 45 1 
			 2005-06 772 42 1 
			 2006-07 752 38 1 
			 2007-08 737 34 1 
			  Notes: 1. All figures are rounded to the nearest million pounds. 2. All figures are consistent with the Budget 2006 report. 3. Figures for 1996-97 to 2004-05 are outcome figures, for 2005-06 estimated and for 2006-07 2007-08 planned.  Source:  DWP Expenditure tables (http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp)

Industrial Injuries Benefit

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what effect receipt of industrial injuries benefit has on entitlement to incapacity benefit.

Jim Murphy: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 8 November 2006,  Official Report, column 1618W.

Pension Credit

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria are used to determine whether pension credit is eligible to be backdated.

James Purnell: Pension credit can be claimed up to 12 months from the date of entitlement. In practice this means that a claimant who claims today can ask for his claim to be considered from a date up to 12 months before. Provided the claimant satisfied the normal entitlement conditions during that time, pension credit will be paid for the past period.

Pension Credit

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the UK are in receipt of pension credit; and what the average payment received is.

James Purnell: 2.7 million households in Great Britain were receiving pension credit as at August 2006, with an average weekly payment of 46.84.
	In Northern Ireland Pension Credit administration is a matter for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
	 Notes:
	1. The figure provided is an early estimate. The preferred data source for figures supplied by DWP is the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS). However, the figure provided isthe latest available figure which is taken from the GMS scan at1 September 2006. These are adjusted using the historical relationship between WPLS and GMS data to give an estimate of the final WPLS figure.
	2. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10.
	3. Households are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.
	 Source:
	DWP 100 per cent data from the Generalised Matching Service (GMS) Pension Credit scan taken as at 1 September 2006.

Pension Protection Fund

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with officials about amending the Pension Protection Fund so that it does not unfairly disadvantage scheme members who took early retirement shortly before their company went into liquidation.

James Purnell: PPF compensation is effectively a supporting measure that only takes effect when the scheme's sponsoring employer or employers have become insolvent and when the scheme itself cannot afford to pay benefits at the same level as the PPF. It is important to remember that when considering a scheme's total membership, more money will be paid out by the PPF than could have been paid by the scheme.
	We have carefully considered the issues that have been raised by and on behalf of a number of early retirees. We have taken particular account of the need for PPF compensation to balance fairness to scheme members, and remain affordable for pension schemes paying the PPF levy. We have concluded that changing the PPF compensation rules would advantage one group of scheme members compared to other groups, and could increase the cost of the PPF. We do not, therefore, propose to change PPF legislation at this time.

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of consultations by his Department on reform of the UK pension system has been since May 2005; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: As part of the normal policy development process Ministers and civil servants have met a wide range of people and organisations and have participated in discussions and debates, both face-to-face and on-line, on pensions reform. I have also made a number of visits around the country; providing an opportunity for regional stakeholders and members of the public to discuss the reforms.
	The Department has also undertaken a number of activities which have incurred the following specific costs:
	The National Pensions Debate, including regional events, National Pensions Day events, the website survey, the stakeholder toolkit and analysis of National Pensions Debate feedback, cost just over 1 million.
	A series of seminars and summits to explore in detail the proposals on the key issues surrounding the policy design and implementation for personal accounts cost 72,500.
	The White Paper Security in retirement: towards a new pension system which set out the Government's proposals for reform and the companion regulatory impact assessment cost 278,000 to publish and distribute.
	The cost of Security in retirement: towards a new pension systemsummary of responses to the consultation, published and distributed on 30 October, was 25,000.
	The On-line Pensions Forum which was set up at the end of July to help broaden understanding and discussion of the reform proposals has cost 500.

Pensions

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions  (a) he and  (b) his officials have had with employer representatives on section 67 of the Pensions Act 1995 in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: There have been no meetings with employer representatives specifically to discuss section 67 of the Pensions Act 1995.
	In the White Paper Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pensions System the Government announced a deregulatory review of occupational.
	The aim of the review is to make the private pensions regulatory framework simpler and less burdensome. An external advisory group has been established to assist with the review. The CBI are represented on this group and DWP officials attend the meetings. There have been three meetings of the group to date, and accrued rights is one of several issues that have been discussed.
	Nothing is ruled out of the review for consideration for change in the future, and nothing is ruled in, but it will need to strike a balance between protecting members' benefits and encouraging employer provision by lightening regulation.
	The Government have no plans to reduce benefits already earned in defined benefit pension schemes.

Pensions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions his Department has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on women's pensions; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: We are regularly and actively engaged in discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Treasury Ministers and officials in his Department on women's pensions.
	The Pensions Bill was introduced on 28 November 2006 and published on 29 November together with regulatory and gender impact assessments of the Bill.
	The provisions in the Bill will accelerate improvements in women's state pension outcomes. Around three quarters of women reaching state pension age in 2010 are projected to be entitled to a full basic state pension under our reforms compared to around half without reform.
	Further, a woman, reaching state pension age around 2050, who works or cares for around 40 years could build up a state pension of around 135 a week (in 2005-06 earnings terms)20 more than the pension credit standard minimum guarantee.

Winter Fuel Payment

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what factors he took into account when deciding  (a) the tax treatment of the winter fuel payment and  (b) whether the winter fuel payment should be means-tested.

James Purnell: The winter fuel payment was first introduced in winter 1997-98 at the rate of 20 and has now increased to 200 per household for those aged 60 to 79 and 300 per household for those aged 80 or over.
	The objective of the winter fuel payment is to provide pensioners with significant assistance with their bills during the colder winter months. Consequently, it was decided that the payment should be neither taxable nor related to household income. Policy for taxation is of course a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

HEALTH

Alder Hey Children's Hospital

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the services provided by the specialist burns unit at Alder Hey Children's Hospital; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: A nationwide review of specialist burns services is being carried out by the national health service-led national burn care group. As part of this review the specialist burns unit at Alder Hey was visited by a small multi-disciplinary team from the NHS on 19 October 2006. That team rated the service provided as very good.

Care Homes

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's policy is on the standards of care provided by care home operators; and if she will make a statement

Ivan Lewis: The Department's requirements for the standards of care provided by care home operators are set out in the Care Homes Regulations 2001 and associated national minimum standards (NMS). Copies are available in the Library.
	Care homes in England are inspected and regulated by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) to ensure that they comply with the regulations. CSCI must take the NMS, which apply across the country and are intended to ensure consistency in the quality of services, into account when inspecting care homes and has a range of powers to ensure that operators can be required to make any necessary improvements to the quality of services.

Care Homes

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there is a national minimum per capita sum for the provision of food for residents of care homes; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: No. The Care Homes Regulations 2001 require homes to provide, in adequate quantities, suitable, wholesome and nutritious food which is varied and properly prepared and available at such time as may reasonably be required by service users.

Contaminated Blood Products

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 November 2006,  Official Report, column 225W, on contaminated NHS blood products, how decisions are made on the communication of information on possible risks and the protection of public health.

Caroline Flint: In January this year, the Department submitted a memorandum of evidence to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee Inquiry into the Government's policy on the management of risk. This sets out the Department's approach to managing risk.
	A copy of the memorandum by the Department has been published by the House of Lords Select Committee on Economic Affairs. This is available at:
	www.publications.parliamentuk/pa/ld200506/ldselect/ldeconaf/183/18302.htm#evidence

Corporate and Transactional Shared Services (Lancashire/Cumbria)

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what public consultation has taken place on the introduction of Corporate and Transactional Shared Services in Lancashire and Cumbria.

Rosie Winterton: Formal consultation with local overview and scrutiny committees is being undertaken by the national health service. This is part of an ongoing programme of engagement with local stakeholders.
	The former Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority also commissioned engagement work to be undertaken by MORI in summer 2006 with the public and local clinicians, to find out what is important to patients in Cumbria and Lancashire and to use this information to help develop the clinical assessment and treatment service.

Corporate and Transactional Shared Services (Lancashire/Cumbria)

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who took the decision to introduce Corporate and Transactional Shared Services in Lancashire and Cumbria.

Rosie Winterton: The local strategic health authority, jointly with its commissioners, took the decision to introduce the clinical assessment and treatment service into Cumbria and Lancashire as a response to the need of the local health economy to invest in additional capacity and at the same time improve care pathways and value for money.

Corporate and Transactional Shared Services (Lancashire/Cumbria)

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effects of introducing Corporate and Transactional Shared Services on NHS hospitals trusts in Lancashire and Cumbria.

Rosie Winterton: Introducing the clinical assessment and treatment service is part of a redesign of the care pathway and is expected to reduce the number of patients referred to acute trusts who do not need the specialist skills of secondary care or an elective procedure as part of an integrated modern clinical pathway.
	An assessment of the scheme's impact on key stakeholders is currently being undertaken by local primary care trusts.

Electronic Patient Records

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what access other  (a) local and  (b) central Government agencies and Departments will have to electronic patient records under the Connecting for Health programme in England.

Caroline Flint: Access to records will not be permitted to organisations not involved in delivering care to national health service patients.

Electronic Patient Records

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans have been made to integrate English and Welsh patient records systems after Connecting for Health goes ahead in England.

Caroline Flint: The devolved Administration in Wales has adopted different approaches to the development of information technology support in the health service in Wales from those being delivered through the national programme for information technology to the national health service in England, based on its own functional requirements, administrative arrangements, and assessment of priorities.
	However, through the United Kingdom (UK) information management and technology forum, and the NHS information standards board, national programme officials work closely with officials in the National Assembly for Wales to ensure common standards and interoperability of clinical information systems; and where appropriate, information can be exchanged between the health services quickly, safely and securely. There are a number of working groups involving officials and experts from the four UK health administrations with the specific objective of ensuring compatibility between systems and, where appropriate, the adoption of common solutions.

Electronic Patient Records

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will audit the use of Connecting for Health electronic patient records in England.

Caroline Flint: NHS Connecting for Health is providing local national health service organisations with the tools to ensure that the use of local electronic patient records will be fully auditable. All users will have to have a smartcarda secure token that, together with a password, confirms the identity of a user. They are issued only when satisfactory evidence of identity and residence is provided in accordance with the e-Government interoperability framework (eGif) level 3 standards for the registration and authentication of staff. NHS Connecting for Health smartcards provide a unique digital identity that enables systems to know precisely who each user is and what access to patient records they are permitted. They also enable systems to create an audit trail of user activity. Responsibility for ensuring that staff comply with required information governance practice, investigating incidents and conducting audits of activity will continue to rest, as now, with local NHS organisations.

Excelcare Ltd.

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when her Department last inspected the performance of Excelcare Ltd. in providing care for the elderly; and if she will make a statement

Ivan Lewis: I am informed by the Chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that Excelcare is a corporate provider which has 37 care homes, two domiciliary care agencies and one nursing agency registered with CSCI.
	CSCI conducted key inspections of all 37 Excelcare care homes between January and November 2006.
	CSCI will continue to monitor Excelcare homes and take action as necessary where it believes improvements need to be made.

General Practitioner Patient Survey

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what provisions there will be to assess the particular requirements of deaf and hard of hearing patients in accessing NHS services as part of the GP patient survey Your Doctor, Your Experience, Your Say;
	(2)  pursuant to the questions designed to assess whether patients can easily contact their general practitioner's practice in the forthcoming GP patient survey Your Doctor, Your Experience, Your Say, what alternatives to the telephone have been considered by her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The general practitioner patient survey Your Doctor, Your Experience, Your Say has been developed by the Department to provide a nationally consistent tool for asking all patients for their views on primary care services at practice level. The initial survey will focus on patients' experience of access. Patients' responses will be used by primary care trusts to reward general practices against standards set out in the improved access scheme, which is part of the contract for general practices in 2006-07.
	This scheme is intended to incentivise improved access for all patients including those who are deaf and hard of hearing but includes no specific provisions relating to any particular group or category of patients. Accordingly, the questions have been designed to allow patients to report their experience of making contact with GPs using the most common methods such as by telephone or by visiting their practice.

Healthy Living

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 29W-30W, on Healthy Living, whether she has assessed the merits of using fiscal incentives to promote responsible drinking.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	Decisions about the appropriate level of excise duty on alcohol are taken by the Chancellor at Budget, taking all relevant factors into consideration.

Orphan Drugs

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response her Department has made to the March 2006 paper by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, Appraising Orphan Drugs; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The report from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) specifically addressed the appraisal of ultra-orphan drugs for conditions with a prevalence of less than one in 50,000. We currently have no plans to ask NICE to establish a new appraisal system for such drugs. NICE already appraises orphan drugs for conditions with a prevalence of less than five per 10,000, through its existing technology appraisal programme.

Payment by Results

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what effect the payment by results programme has had on community health services in England.

Rosie Winterton: Community health services are currently outside the scope of payment by results and therefore funding for these services is agreed locally with commissioners. The scope of services within payment by results will not be enlarged in 2007-08.
	However, there are flexibilities within payment by results aimed at supporting the delivery of services in new ways and in new settings for the benefit of patients. For instance, the tariff can be split, or unbundled, so that funding can be shared locally between those providing different elements of a patient's care, which would benefit services providing rehabilitation or diagnostics in the community.

Pharmaceutical Products

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to consult  (a) the Doctors Dispensing Association and  (b) pharmacy trading bodies on changes to the distribution of pharmaceutical products.

Ivan Lewis: A number of bodies, including the Dispensing Doctors Association, have expressed concerns about forthcoming changes to the distribution of pharmaceutical products. These are commercial matters, which the Department has no plans to consult on.

Pharmaceutical Products

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent meetings she has had with representatives of the pharmaceutical wholesale and pharmacy industries to discuss the new distribution arrangements proposed by Pfizer and UniChem.

Ivan Lewis: Ministers have had no recent meetings with representatives of the pharmaceutical wholesale and pharmacy industries to discuss these new distribution arrangements but officials in the Department have done so.

Pharmaceutical Products

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers her Department has to ensure the supply of pharmaceutical products to pharmaciesif the supply is disrupted due to the commercial decisions of either pharmaceutical wholesalers or pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Ivan Lewis: The Department has no such powers. However, the Department has received assurances from both Pfizer and UniChem that they will make every effort to ensure that their new distribution arrangements for pharmaceutical products will not result in any disruptions in supply. The Department will monitor the new arrangements. If the changes result in shortages or disruptions to supply, it will move to ensure the companies take swift corrective action.

Physicians' Assistants

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has issued on the use of physicians' assistants.

Rosie Winterton: In accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines, the competence and curriculum framework for the medical care practitioner (previous title for physician assistant) consultation document was published on 4 November 2005. Public consultation ended on 10 February 2006. The outcomes from the public consultation are available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/Consultations/ResponsesToConsultations/ResponsesToConsultationsDocumentSummary/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4136725chk=rn9vpY
	These informed the competence and curriculum framework for the physician assistant.

Physicians' Assistants

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the use of physicians' assistants was the subject of a pilot programme; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The physician's assistant role has been subject to rigorous pilot programmes in primarycare in North East London and in secondary carein North West London. The pilot programmes have underpinned the development of a competence and curriculum framework.

Prisoners (Mental Health)

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to improve mental health services for prisoners.

Rosie Winterton: Mental health services for prisoners have been a key part of the Government's recent reforms of health services for prisoners. This has seen funding and commissioning responsibility for health services in prisons pass from the Prison Service to the national health service, with funding rising from 118 million in 2003 to over 200 million in this financial year.
	The Department is now investing nearly 20 million a year in NHS mental health in-reach services for prisoners. These are community mental health teams working within prisons and are now available to all prisons in England and Wales, with some 360 extra staff employed.

Royal Hospital Haslar

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements have been made for the provision of services by the Royal Hospital Haslar after 31 March 2007.

Caroline Flint: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities to analyse their local situation and develop plans, in liaison with their local national health service (NHS) trusts and primary care providers, to deliver high quality NHS services.

Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin Primary Care Trusts

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ensure that there is an independent assessment of the findings of the public consultation process that has taken place for the strategic services plan for the Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin primary care trusts.

Caroline Flint: The Department understands that the public consultation for stage two of the strategicreview of services in Shropshire County and Telford and Wrekin Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) ended on27 November 2006. It is now for the two PCTs to consider the responses to this consultation and reach a decision as to the way forward. Decisions on service reconfiguration rarely involve Ministers. They will only become involved if the relevant overview and scrutiny committee choose to refer any decisions to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health. Where a referral has been made, the Secretary of State for Health may ask the independent review panel to advise her on the matter.

Southampton General Hospital Trusts

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to ensure that Southampton residents who wish to be treated by the Southampton general hospital trusts will not need to travel to other hospitals for treatment.

Rosie Winterton: Current choice policy means that since 1 January 2006, eligible patients should be offered a choice of at least four providers, where clinically appropriate, where they need a referral for elective care. Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for commissioning the choice options for their local communities and these may include national health service trusts, NHS foundation trusts, NHS or independent sector (IS) treatment centres and other IS providers. This would normally include the local district general hospital. PCTs are expected to engage with local communities and patient groups to inform the local menu of providers. This policy is likely to provide my right hon. Friend with the assurance he is seeking.

Southampton Independent Sector Treatment Centre

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when the local capacity and impact analysis for the proposed Southampton independent sector treatment centre was completed; and if she will publish the report;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the additional surgical capacity required in the Southampton primary care trust area over the next five years; and what proportion of this she expects to be provided by the proposed Southampton independent sector treatment centre.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally. It is the responsibility of NHS South Central, which includes the former Hampshire and Isle of Wight strategic health authority area, to plan surgical capacity and develop the requirement for the independent sector treatment centre in Southampton.
	The Department is working on capacity mapping analyses of the proportion of elective care, by specialty, that will flow to all the providers in the health economy over five years, but these are not ready at this stage.

Tuberculosis

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in England were treated for TB in  (a) 2003,  (b) 2004 and  (c) 2005.

Caroline Flint: Tuberculosis case reports for England are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2003 6,741 
			 2004 7,049 
			 2005 7,846 
			  Source: Health Protection Agency enhanced tuberculosis surveillance system. www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/tb/epidemiology/table15.htm

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Preventing Extremism Together

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government further to the Preventing Extremism Together working plan, what funding each Department provided for The Radical Middle Way campaign; and how much was provided for the campaign's website.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	The Radical Middle Way initiative has received funding totalling 350,000, of which 250,000 was provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and 100,000 by Home Office.

Preventing Extremism Together

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant toher Department's Preventing Extremism Together document, what the cost was of the visits by British Muslim delegations to promote a positive image of Britain's Muslim youth abroad; which Government Departments contributed to the cost; what the size was of each delegation; where each delegation went; and what other visits are planned.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	In financial years 2005-06 and 2006-07, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office allocated 350,000 to British Muslim delegations going overseas. Delegation sizes are between four and eight people.
	Countries visited to date are; Bahrain, Qatar, Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Algeria, Bosnia, Spain, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Morocco. The next sets of visits are still being planned.

Business Rates

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will reduce the business rates due on stand-by communication services.

Phil Woolas: There no plans to alter communication services' business rates liability.

Community Associations

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many community associations are  (a) formally registered and  (b) incorporated in each of the English regions.

Edward Miliband: I have been asked to reply.
	The Charity Commission, the independent registrar and regulator of charities, is responsible for the registration of community associations as charities. I have therefore asked the Commission's chief executive to write to my hon. Friend and for a copy of this letter to be placed in the Library for the reference of Members.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the average parish precept levied on an average Band D council tax bill in a parished area is in England in 2006-07;
	(2)  which council has the highest parish precept on Band D council tax in England in 2006-07; and what the level of the precept is.

Phil Woolas: Information on precepts and Band D council taxes set by individual parish and town councils is not collected by the Department.

Council Tax

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average Band D council tax was in each local authority area in  (a) Yorkshire and the Humber and  (b) England in each year since 2003-04.

Phil Woolas: The average area Band D council tax (in pounds) for each local authority area in  (a) the Yorkshire and the Humber region and  (b) England in each year since 2003-04 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Local authority  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Barnsley 1,045 1,104 1,162 1,219 
			 Bradford 1,016 1,061 1,105 1,151 
			 Calderdale 1,131 1,181 1,237 1,297 
			 Craven 1,127 1,199 1,254 1,309 
			 Doncaster 1,040 1,094 1,102 1,136 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire UA 1,109 1,183 1,241 1,302 
			 Hambleton 1,055 1,128 1,182 1,233 
			 Harrogate 1,145 1.224 1,279 1,335 
			 Kingston upon Hull UA 1,036 1,094 1,143 1,196 
			 Kirklees 1.089 1,134 1,190 1,250 
			 Leeds 985 1,040 1,086 1,136 
			 North East Lincolnshire UA 1,174 1,265 1,325 1,364 
			 North Lincolnshire UA 1,157 1,237 1,294 1,356 
			 Richmondshire 1,145 1,219 1,277 1,327 
			 Rotherham 1,085 1,143 1,200 1,259 
			 Ryedale 1,142 1,215 1,268 1,321 
			 Scarborough 1,141 1,222 1,277 1,332 
			 Selby 1,136 1,207 1,260 1,312 
			 Sheffield 1,155 1,216 1,274 1,333 
			 Wakefield 1,006 1,048 1,090 1,130 
			 York UA 988 1,078 1,127 1,182 
			 England 1,102 1,167 1,214 1,268 
		
	
	The data are collected on budget requirements forms submitted annually by local authorities to the Department for Communities and Local Government and include, where applicable, the authorities own council tax plus council tax collected on behalf of precepting bodies such as county councils, fire authorities and police authorities.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many value for money exercises on the use of  (a) management consultants and  (b) professional advisers were conducted by her Department in each of the last five years for which information is available; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The Department has not instigated any consultancy specific value for money exercises in the last five years.
	The National Audit Office carries out value for money exercises and it has been conducting a study on central Government's use of consultants which is due to be published in December 2006. The Department worked with the NAO on this study.

Departmental Travel

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what foreign visits have been undertaken by departmental staff on official business since 7 July 2006.

Angela Smith: Since 7 July 2006 there have been 133 foreign visits undertaken by Department for Communities and Local Government staff. The destinations included 122 to Europe (outside UK); eight visits to Far East; three visits to North America .

Departmental Travel

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost was of the visits abroad by staff in her Department in the last 12 months.

Angela Smith: The cost of the 519 trips abroad by staff in the Department for Communities and Local Government in the last 12 months is 197,992.

Elected Mayors

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what referendums have been held for elected mayors since the relevant provisions of the Local Government Act 2000 came into force; what the percentage turnout of the electorate was in each case; and what the percentage of those  (a) in favour and  (b) against a mayoral election was in each case.

Phil Woolas: The following tables show results of referendums.
	
		
			  Mayoral referendums 2001 to date 
			   Summary of results 
			 'YES' results 12 
			 'NO' results 22 
			 Total 34 
		
	
	
		
			  Detailed breakdown 
			Result 
			  Date  Council  Yes  Percentage  No  Percentage  Turnout (%) 
			 7 June 2001 Berwick-upon-Tweed 3,617 26 10,212 74 64 
			 28 June 2001 Cheltenham 8,083 33 16,602 67 32 
			 28 June 2001 Gloucester 7,731 32 16,317 68 31 
			 12 July 2001 Watford 7,636 52 7,140 48 25 
			 20 September 2001 Doncaster 35,453 65 19,398 35 25 
			 4 October 2001 Kirklees 10,169 27 27,977 73 13 
			 11 October 2001 Sunderland 9,375 43 12,209 57 10 
			 18 October 2001 Brighton and Hove 22,724 38 37,214 62 32 
			 18 October 2001 Hartlepool 10,667 51 10,294 49 34 
			 18 October 2001 Lewisham 16,822 51 15,914 49 18 
			 18 October 2001 Middlesbrough 29,067 84 5,422 16 34 
			 18 October 2001 North Tyneside 30,262 58 22,296 42 36 
			 18 October 2001 Sedgefield 10,628 47 11,869 53 33 
			 8 November 2001 Redditch 7,250 44 9,198 56 28 
			 20 November 2001 Durham (City) 8,327 41 11,974 59 29 
			 6 December 2001 Harrow 17,502 43 23,554 57 26 
			 24 January 2002 Plymouth 29,559 41 42,811 59 40 
			 24 January 2002 Harlow 5,296 25 15,490 75 35 
			 31 January 2002 Newham 27,263 68 12,687 32 26 
			 31 January 2002 Southwark 6,054 31 13,217 69 11 
			 31 January 2002 West Devon 3,555 23 12,190 77 42 
			 31 January 2002 Shepway 11,357 44 14,438 56 36 
			 21 February 2002 Bedford 11,316 67 5,537 33 16 
			 2 May 2002 Hackney 24,697 70 10,547 30 32 
			 2 May 2002 Mansfield 8,973 55 7,350 45 21 
			 2 May 2002 Newcastle-under-Lyme 12,912 44 16,468 56 32 
			 2 May 2002 Oxford 14,692 44 18,686 56 34 
			 2 May 2002 Stoke on Trent 28,601 58 20,578 42 27 
			 1 October 2002 Corby 5,351 46 6,239 54 31 
			 12 December 2002 Ealing 9,454 45 11,655 55 10 
			 5 May 2005 Isle of Wight 28,786 44 37,097 56 62 
			 14 May 2005 Fenland 5,509 24 17,296 76 34 
			 14 July 2005 Torbay 18,074 55 14,682 45 32 
			 4 May 2006 Crewe and Nantwich 11,808 38 18,768 61 35

Emergency Response Times

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what fire brigade response times to emergency calls were for each fire service in each year since 2000.

Angela Smith: The available information covers primary fires (those involving property or casualties, or attended by five or more appliances) attended by fire and rescue services. The figures are average response times in minutes, measured from the time that the call was received by fire control staff up to the time of arrival of the first appliance at the fire ground.
	
		
			  Average response times (minutes): England 
			  FRS area  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 England 6.29 6.28 6.39 6.62 6.77 6.98 
			 Avon 6.33 6.49 6.68 6.92 7.38 7.82 
			 Bedfordshire 6.60 7.11 6.93 6.73 7.19 6.97 
			 Berkshire 6.71 7.11 7.13 7.55 7.19 7.47 
			 Buckinghamshire 7.82 7.91 8.20 8.01 8.32 8.17 
			 Cambridgeshire 8.70 8.56 8.76 9.14 8.95 9.18 
			 Cheshire 6.43 6.85 6.73 6.90 7.20 7.30 
			 Cleveland 4.93 4.94 5.16 5.09 5.14 5.34 
			 Cornwall 9.20 8.97 9.77 9.79 9.92 9.53 
			 Cumbria 7.81 7.92 8.29 8.27 8.58 8.94 
			 Derbyshire 6.95 7.06 7.25 7.31 7.55 7.46 
			 Devon 6.65 6.61 6.94 6.83 8.01 8.10 
			 Dorset 7.21 6.93 7.18 6.73 7.08 7.42 
			 Durham 7.43 7.66 7.57 7.70 7.74 8.14 
			 East Sussex 6.65 6.16 6.59 6.70 6.52 6.54 
			 Essex 7.16 7.11 7.29 6.94 7.56 7.49 
			 Gloucestershire 8.55 8.52 8.38 8.51 9.15 8.55 
			 Hampshire 6.92 7.00 6.96 7.42 7.44 7.25 
			 Hereford and Worcester 7.88 8.11 8.50 8.30 8.32 9.01 
			 Hertfordshire 7.24 7.00 7.18 7.42 7.02 6.99 
			 Humberside 5.86 5.79 5.76 6.01 6.04 6.12 
			 Isle of Wight 6.95 7.60 7.23 7.21 7.24 6.57 
			 Kent 7.85 7.53 7.49 7.64 7.41 7.69 
			 Lancashire 5.69 5.87 6.28 6.74 6.62 6.54 
			 Leicestershire 6.53 6.68 6.56 6.66 6.85 6.99 
			 Lincolnshire 8.96 8.71 9.47 9.79 9.88 9.92 
			 Norfolk 8.80 8.57 8.00 7.99 7.82 8.62 
			 North Yorkshire 7.78 7.74 7.90 8.39 8.58 8.54 
			 Northamptonshire 6.53 6.54 6.39 6.76 7.40 7.35 
			 Northumberland 7.24 7.47 7.62 8.00 8.13 8.59 
			 Nottinghamshire 5.94 5.94 5.94 6.44 6.30 6.61 
			 Oxfordshire 7.77 8.34 8.81 9.10 8.84 8.77 
			 Shropshire 7.85 8.82 8.52 8.91 8.08 8.22 
			 Somerset 7.80 8.04 8.70 8.30 9.24 9.49 
			 Staffordshire 111 7.50 7.64 7.69 8.28 8.33 
			 Suffolk 8.73 8.77 8.99 9.28 9.03 9.42 
			 Surrey 7.36 7.85 7.79 8.27 8.00 8.51 
			 Warwickshire 7.15 7.83 7.65 7.73 8.52 7.83 
			 West Sussex 7.53 7.49 7.48 8.00 8.23 8.76 
			 Wiltshire 8.45 9.35 7.85 8.85 8.81 9.39 
			 Isles of Scilly 7.00 8.00 7.00 9.00 9.50  
			 Greater Manchester 6.10 6.08 5.87 5.97 5.97 6.02 
			 Merseyside 5.28 5.41 5.51 5.69 5.83 6.17 
			 South Yorkshire 6.53 6.70 6.39 6.50 6.57 6.80 
			 Tyne and Wear 5.10 5.07 5.03 5.29 5.19 5.26 
			 West Midlands 5.24 5.28 5.32 5.56 6.00 5.97 
			 West Yorkshire 6.47 6.19 6.29 6.78 6.65 6.81 
			 Greater London 4.90 4.96 5.06 5.10 5.37 5.46 
			  Note: Excludes late calls and incidents not recorded during strike periods in 2002 and 2003.  Source: FDR1 returns from fire and rescue services to the Department for Communities and Local Government

Firefighters' Pension Scheme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of likely savings to public expenditure arising from the changes announced to firefighters' pensions on 8 September 2005 for each year from 2006-07 to 2030-31; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The annual savings for fire and rescue authorities in England from reduced employer contributions will be 12.3 per cent. of pensionable pay for each employee who joins the new firefighters' pension scheme. The introduction of two-tier ill-health arrangements for members of the firefighters' pension scheme 1992 from April 2006 are estimated to save2 per cent. of pensionable pay. The estimated pensionable payroll is currently 910 million per annum.

Flood Risk (Development)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Communities and Local Government what representations she has received from the Environment Agency on decisions by the East of England Development Agency to propose development in flood risk areas.

Meg Munn: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has not received any representations from the Environment Agency on decisions by the East of England Development Agency to propose development in flood risk areas.

Health Services: Thames Gateway

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to ensure adequate provision of health care services for planned housing development and population growth in the Thames Gateway.

Yvette Cooper: The Thames Gateway Interim Plan which my Department published last week recognises the importance of health care and other public services both for existing residents of the Gateway and for those who move into the area. My Department will work with the Department of Health and others to overcome barriers to the provision of modern integrated services. And we will work with delivery partners in the Gateway to help them prepare plans for new social infrastructure that will guide future investment decisions.

Health Services: Thames Gateway

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health about future health care provision in the Thames Gateway.

Yvette Cooper: The Thames Gateway Interim Plan published last week has the full support of colleagues including my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health. I and my Department worked with a wide range of other Departments and delivery partners on the Policy Framework that forms part of the Interim Plan. I look forward to working with my right hon. Friend and others as we develop a detailed delivery plan for the Gateway.

Homelessness

Christine Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding for homelessness prevention services her Department made available in  (a) the North West and  (b) Chester in each year since 2001-02.

Yvette Cooper: The following amounts of homelessness grant revenue funding have been allocated to the North West.
	
		
			   North West ()  Chester () 
			 2001-02 2,418,278 289,434 
			 2002-03 4,043,174 228,650 
			 2003-04 5,117,647 246,650 
			 2004-05 3,468,057 200,000 
			 2005-06 3,532,557 200,000 
			 2006-07 3,842,536 200,000 
			 2007-08 indicative 3,543,057 200,000 
			 Total 25,965,306 1,564,734

Hostel Provision

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will take steps to reduce the requirement of a Meteorological Office forecast of zero degrees Celsius or lower for three consecutive nights for additional hostel provision.

Yvette Cooper: The commonly adopted trigger of zero degrees Celsius or lower for three consecutive nights, was proposed as a workable timescale in which to activate severe weather emergency provision (SWEP) following an informal consultation with local authorities and London voluntary agencies, as it provides enough time in which to open, staff and publicise the provision, as well as to encourage clients to take up spaces.
	However, local authorities are free to determine what trigger they use to activate severe weather emergency provision within their area.

Housing

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were registered for rehousing with each local authority in Tyne and Wear in each year since 2000.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 30 November 2006
	The number of households on the waiting list for social housing in each local authority in Tyne and Wear since 2000, as at 1 April each year, is tabled as follows:
	
		
			   Gateshead  Newcastle upon Tyne  North Tyneside  South Tyneside  Sunderland  Tyne and Wear 
			 2000 4,700 4,400 3,300 12,200 4,500 29,000 
			 2001 4,800 5,400 2,500 8,700 5,200 26,500 
			 2002 5,400 6,300 2,900 10,200 5,800 30,500 
			 2003 6,000 6,600 3,400 10,800 22,300 49,100 
			 2004 9,900 10,200 4,000 12,300 25,800 62,300 
			 2005 4,200 13,100 4,300 8,600 16,200 46,500 
			 2006 10,300 18,900 5,600 8,400 1,500 44,700 
			  Source: Communities and Local Government's Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) return 
		
	
	The England totals may not be equal to the sum of individual region's figures, due to rounding.
	Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred housing option or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get on to the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move houseparticularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time.

Housing

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people are on housing waiting lists in England.

Yvette Cooper: The number of households on the waiting list for social housing in each local authority in England as at 1 April 2006 was 1,634,301.
	Local authorities (LAs) in England report the number of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. Where the local authority maintains a common waiting list with registered social landlords (RSLs) in their district, the list will also include households placed on the list by RSLs. The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect information on households on individual RSL waiting lists.
	Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred option or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get on to the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move houseparticularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time.

Housing

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what proportion of people on a housing waiting list refused the first offer of a property in  (a) Hemsworth constituency,  (b) Yorkshire and Humberside and (c) England in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the average waiting time is on a housing list for a property in  (a) Hemsworth constituency  (b) Yorkshire and Humberside and  (c) England.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally.

Housing

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many right to buy  (a) applications and  (b) sales there were in Yorkshire and Humberside in each year since 1980.

Yvette Cooper: The numbers of right-to-buy sales and applications can be found on the Department for Communities and local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/383/Table648_id1156383.xls
	Information on individual years is available from 1998-99 only.

Housing

Christine Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many applicants are registered on housing waiting lists in each local authority in the North West of England.

Yvette Cooper: The number of households on the waiting list for social housing in each local authority in the North West of England, as at 1 April 2006, is tabled as follows:
	
		
			  2006 
			  Local authority name  Number 
			 Allerdale 2,013 
			 Barrow-in-Furness 1,446 
			 Blackburn with Darwen DA 7,520 
			 Blackpool UA 2,706 
			 Bolton 21,422 
			 Burnley 1,376 
			 Bury 3,353 
			 Carlisle 3,976 
			 Chester 3,882 
			 Chorley 1,652 
			 Congleton 1,168 
			 Copeland 2,035 
			 Crewe and Nantwich 2,460 
			 Eden 1,043 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston 1,297 
			 Fylde 3,600 
			 Halton UA 2,523 
			 Hyndburn 3,430 
			 Knowsley 3,075 
			 Lancaster 1,538 
			 Liverpool 12,924 
			 Macclesfield 3,133 
			 Manchester 16,994 
			 Oldham 7,520 
			 Pendle 1,572 
			 Preston 3,187 
			 Ribble Valley 891 
			 Rochdale 6,552 
			 Rossendale 2,947 
			 Salford 12,074 
			 Sefton 12,694 
			 South Lakeland 3,255 
			 South Ribble 1,474 
			 St. Helens 2,172 
			 Stockport 6,821 
			 Tameside 7,169 
			 Trafford 6,067 
			 Vale Royal 3,522 
			 Warrington UA 9,725 
			 West Lancashire 2,318 
			 Wigan 5,801 
			 Wirral 13,252 
			 Wyre 3,818 
			  Source: Communities and Local Government's Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) return. 
		
	
	Local authorities (LAs) in England report the number of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. Where the local authority maintains a common waiting list with registered social landlords (RSLs) in their district, the list will also include households placed on the list by RSLs. The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect information on households on individual RSL waiting lists.
	Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred option or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get on to the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move houseparticularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time.

Housing

Christine Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many right-to-buy sales in  (a) the North West of England and  (b) Chester there have been in each year since 1980.

Yvette Cooper: The number of right-to-buy sales can be found on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/383/Table648_id1156383.xls
	Information on individual years is available from 1998-99 only.

Housing

Christine Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding her Department has made available under the hostels improvement programme in  (a) the North West and  (b) Chester in each year since 2004-05.

Yvette Cooper: The Hostels Capital Improvement Programme has allocated funding to the North West as follows:
	
		
			   
			   North West  Chester 
			 2004-05 109,000  
			 2005-06 3,189,000 110,000 
			 2006-07 3,390,000  
			 2007-08 1,283,000  
			 Total 7,971,000 110,000

Housing

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) average price of a home and  (b) average household income was in each higher tier local authority area in each of the last three years; and what the ratio of those two factors is for each local authority listed in descending order during that period.

Yvette Cooper: The average (median) price of a home in England and Wales by local authority level is available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/160/Table586_idll56160.xls
	The average (median) weekly earnings in the UK by local authority area is available on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=13101Pos=lColRank=lRank=192
	Earnings data are collected by ONS in April each year. To maintain comparability with earnings, when calculating the ratio of median house prices to median earnings house price data from the first half of the year are used.
	Figures for median house prices, median earnings and the ratio between the two for England are presented in a table that has been placed in the Library.

Housing (Oxfordshire)

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of homes sold in  (a) Wantage constituency and  (b) Oxfordshire in each year since 1997 were sold to first time buyers.

Yvette Cooper: The total number of homes sold to first time buyers is not collected. Although data on all house sales in England and Wales are collected by the Land Registry there is no information collected on buyers.
	Information on mortgages to first time buyers and former owner occupiers for house purchases in the UK is collected by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). This includes the total number of loans to first time buyers and the percentage of loans to first time buyers. This information is published on their website at:
	http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/filegrab/2ML2.xls?ref=4624.
	Information on mortgage sales at county or constituency level is not available.

IT Projects

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which information technology projects are being undertaken by  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies; what the (i) start date, (ii) original planned completion date, (iii) expected completion date, (iv) originally planned costs and (v) estimated planned costs are of each; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: holding answer 23 November 2006
	IT projects undertaken by the Department for Communities and Local Government and its agencies are as follows:
	
		
			  (a) Communities and Local Government (including regional coordination unit and Government offices in the regions) 
			  Project  Start date  Original planned completion date  Expected completion date  Originally planned costs (000)  Estimated planned costs (000) 
			 FiReControl (regional fire control centres)(1) 2004 2009 2011 120,000 190,000 
			 FireLink(2) June 2002 December 2007 March 2009 350,000 350,000 
			 Fire Incident Recording System January 2006 December 2006 June 2007 1,300 2,100 
			 LogasNet Enhancements February 2006 January 2007 January 2007 700 700 
			 National Register of Social Housing November 2004 September 2006 December 2006 3,000 2,400 
			 Places Database and State of the Cities November 2005 June 2006 November 2006 800 1,100 
			 Transactional ERDF and State Aids March 2005 February 2006 December 2006 1,300 2,900 
			 Web Rationalisation December 2005 June 2008 December 2008 3,200 3,200 
			 ITSOP(3) February 2005 October 2006 June 2007 6,526 7,724 
			 DCLG Corporate Web Hosting June 2006 March 2007 March 2007 578 661 
			 Replacement Infrastructure for Peoplesoft HR System November 2006 May 2007 May 2007 537 537 
			 STEP UPUpgrade to the departmental finance system September 2006 March 2007 March 2007 346 346 
			 eSourcing FASD (Zanzibar) June 2006 November 2006 November 2006 218 218 
			 Human Resources Database, further development April 2006 March 2007 March 2007 320 320 
			 Online Performance Management System, further development April 2006 March 2007 March 2007 149 149 
			 (1) The FiReControl project is principally a business change project with an IT component. (2) Firelink is a radio communications system project for the Fire and Rescue Service across Great Britain, with an element of IT. (3) ITSOP includes the outsourcing of IT services, the provision of a new desktop system, and the deployment of an electronic document and records management system to key users. 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Agencies of the Department 
			  Project  Start date  Original planned completion date  Expected completion date  Originally planned costs (000)  Estimated planned costs (000) 
			  Planning Inspectorate 
			 Fabasoft version 6 upgrade June 2006 December 2006 February 2007 375 375 
			   
			  Fire Service College 
			 FRS Managed Learning Environment January 2006 April 2007 June 2007 5,500 5,500 
		
	
	 QEII Conference Centre
	The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre is not undertaking any information technology projects.
	All figures include VAT where applicable.

Local Government Finance

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the results of bids for places on Round Six of the Arm's Length Management Organisation Programme will be announced.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 30 November 2006
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on6 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 881-82W.

Local Government Restructuring

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what effect on subsequent local government financial settlements the rejection of unitary authority status in a referendum will have in the area concerned.

Phil Woolas: The local government finance settlement for each year will reflect the authoritiesin existence for the period of the settlement. A referendum will not be required to ratify or approve a move to unitary local government.

Ministerial Travel

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what cost was incurred by the Deputy Prime Minister's  (a) private office and  (b) ministerial private office for taxi fares in 2005-06.

Angela Smith: In the financial year 2005-06 the Deputy Prime Minister's private office spent 5,475 on taxi fares.

Planning

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of enforcement notices were followed by successful retrospective planning applications in the last period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is notheld centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Planning

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of retrospective planning applications were approved in England in the last period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not record statistics on the number of retrospective planning applications received or approved by local authorities. However, a one-off survey carried out in 1999 showed that just over 3 per cent. of all applications to district planning authorities and county councils for planning permission were applied for retrospectively. The success rate for retrospective applications was 85 per cent. as against 88 per cent. overall.

Planning

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many appeals against  (a) retrospective local planning applications and  (b) local planning applications have been received by each local authority in each year since 2001; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The following summary table shows the number of planning appeals received in England  (a) against retrospective planning applications and  (b) in total in each of the last six years. Data on appeals received for retrospective applications are basedon the appellant's description of the nature of the development and therefore have limitations. Tables giving detailed breakdowns of the numbers for each local planning authority for each year have today been placed in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Number of appeals received against (a) retrospective planning applications and (b) total appeals received 2001 to 31 October 2006 
			   (a) Number of appeals received against retrospective applications  (b) Total appeals received 
			 2001 836 16,388 
			 2002 797 18,250 
			 2003 764 20,578 
			 2004 1,094 25,103 
			 2005 1,012 20,745 
			 2006 (1 January to 31 October) 975 19,464

Renewable Energy

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much energy consumed by her Department is acquired from renewable sources.

Angela Smith: Renewable energy is obtainedby the Department for Communities and Local Government by procuring electricity from renewable sources. For the year 2005-06 the amount of renewable energy used by the Department is as follows:
	
		
			   Renewable energy consumed (kWh) 
			 Headquarter buildings 12,538,297 
			 Agencies 6,624,649 
		
	
	These figures have yet to undergo independent verification and so must be regarded as provisional.
	This answer does not include the buildings occupied by Government offices, which carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.

Rent Assessment Committees

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what percentage of requests to increase rent was granted in rent assessment committees in each of the last five years for which records are available;
	(2)  in what percentage of cases heard before a rent assessment committee the rent  (a) stayed the same and  (b) decreased in each of the last five years for which figures are available;
	(3)  what the average percentage change in rents assessed by rent assessment committees was in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is notheld centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Tobacco: Fire Prevention

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Government's policy is on reduced ignition propensity cigarettes.

Angela Smith: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement I gave on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 67WS, which sets out the Government's position on reduced ignition propensity (REP) cigarettes.

Unitary Councils

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to set a minimum population for district authorities assuming unitary status.

Phil Woolas: We have no plans to set a minimum population for future unitary authorities. Effective local government capable of strategic leadership and the delivery of efficient and effective local services is not dependent on size alone.
	However, the research report Population size and Local Authority Performance which we published alongside the White Paper, makes it clear that while the picture is complex, there is evidence for potential economies of scale to be realised by larger local authorities in the delivery of key county and district services.

Wharves

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what planning policy guidance her Department has issued which is applicable to wharves; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Government have published two relevant statements of national planning policy which are applicable to wharves.
	Planning Policy Guidance note 13: Transport asks local authorities to promote the role of ports in sustainable distribution by encouraging good access by rail, shipping and waterways as well as road where possible, and by promoting interchange facilities and wharves and harbours where viable. It also asks local authorities, when they prepare their development plans and when determining planning applications, to re-use disused wharves and basins, to retain boatyards and other services used in connection with water-based recreation, and to protect and enhance the waterway environment, where these are viable options.
	In the context of planning for minerals, Minerals Policy Statement 1: Planning and Minerals asks planning authorities to safeguard existing, planned and potential rail heads, wharfage and associated storage, and handling and processing facilities for the bulk transport by rail, sea or inland waterways of minerals. Mineral planning authorities in two-tier planning areas are also asked to identify future sites to accommodate such facilities and to reflect any allocations in local development documents. The policy advises that district councils in such areas should not normally permit other development proposals near such safeguarded sites where they might constrain future use for these purposes.

Wirral Council: Finance

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Wirral council would have received in the 2006-07 settlement if the new formula for calculating the cost of social services had been implemented in full.

Phil Woolas: It is not possible to give a definitive answer.
	This is because the amount of formula grant for any authority is based on a calculation that, as well as including the relative needs formulae (i.e. the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of the authority) also includes a floors damping mechanism that ensures that every authority receives at least a certain percentage increase (the floor). In order to pay for the cost of the floor we scale back authorities' formula grant increase above the floor.
	It is possible that, had the Government not decided to phase in the introduction of the new relative needs formulae for children's social care and social services for younger adults, we might have chosen to set different grant floor levels.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departmental Accommodation

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the total floor space is of the Ripley building in Whitehall.

Hilary Armstrong: The Ripley Building, 26 Whitehall, has a net internal area of 4,200 sq m. The Ripley Building accommodates Cabinet Office staff, staff from the Cabinet Office's facilities management contractor, the Department for Communities and Local Government, and the Deputy Prime Minister's Office.

Departmental Bodies

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many projects have been undertakenby the Better Regulation Executive since it was established; how much each project cost; and what assessment she has made of the effect of each project.

Hilary Armstrong: The Better Regulation Executive has undertaken a number of projects since its creation, including:
	The measurement of administrative burdens;
	The Macrory Review of penalties;
	The Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill;
	The Davidson Review of implementation of European legislation;
	Creation of a portal for business and the third sector to directly submit simplification ideas;
	Revision of regulatory impact assessments;
	Support for the delivery of departmental simplification plans; and
	Contribution to the Employment Law Simplification Review.
	In addition, the Executive has undertaken a large number of smaller activities and projects. Separate cost figures are not maintained for these projects, which are covered by the Executive's budget of 6.3 million.

Departmental Websites

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the forecast costs are for maintaining websites within the Cabinet Office's responsibility in the 2006-07 financial year.

Patrick McFadden: The forecast cost for the 2006-07 financial year for Cabinet Office websites is 690,000 (including VAT). This includes:
	web hosting and infrastructure leasing;
	security auditing and software;
	domain name registration and renewal;
	application development and maintenance;
	software licences and renewals; and
	telecommunications rental and usage.
	The cost of maintaining Directgov, which covers services across government, for 2006-07 is forecast as 5,300,000.
	The figures shown are based on actual costs up to the end of October, and cost estimates for the remainder of the financial year. Final costs for 2006-07 will be available from April 2007.
	As the primary electronic channel to citizens for government, Directgov aims to be the one place citizens turn to for the latest and widest range of public services. Directgov supports services on the web via www.direct.gov.uk, digital television (DTV) via Sky, ntl: and Telewest, and is available via mobile phones. Independent research has shown high levels of customer satisfaction, far exceeding the average rating for a government on-line service and on a par with the commercial sector.

Eunomia

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what projects run by the consultancy Eunomia the Cabinet Office has funded in each of the last five years; and what the  (a) cost and  (b) objective was of each project.

Hilary Armstrong: The Cabinet Office has not funded any projects run by the consultancy Eunomia for the period in question. Though the Cabinet Office has not funded any projects run by the consultancy Eunomia, the Department has employed the consultancy to contribute to the Waste Management Programme review during the period 2001-06.

European and UK Law

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  by what mechanism draft UK legislation implementing European legislation is checked for gold plating; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  by what mechanism draft UK legislation is checked to verify whether it complies with European law; and if she will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The Government's policy on implementing EU directives, and the procedures which Departments are required to follow, are contained in the Cabinet Office publication Transposition Guide: how to implement European directives effectively. This guide states that it is Government policy not to go beyond the minimum requirements of EU directives, unless there are exceptional circumstances justified by a cost-benefit analysis and extensive consultation with business. Instances of gold-plating must be explained in the Regulatory Impact Assessment and approved by the Panel for Regulatory Accountability. Furthermore, since March 2005, there has been a requirement that Transposition Notes, which accompany UK legislation enacting EU legislation when it is laid before Parliament, should include a statement on any over-implementation that is being proposed.
	The Transposition Guide will be updated in line with the relevant recommendations contained in the Davidson Report, published on 28 November 2006, in order to strengthen further mechanisms to avoid gold-plating.
	Copies of the Transposition Guide are available in the Library for the reference of Members. It is also available on the Cabinet Office's website at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/regulation/documents/pdf/tpguide.pdf

Religious Buildings: Registration

Paul Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate she has made of the number of mosques that  (a) were and  (b) were not registered as (i) charities and (ii) trusts in each year since 2001.

Edward Miliband: I have been asked to reply 
	asthe Minister for the third sector. The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities, is responsible for deciding whether or not any particular mosque is eligible to register as a charity, and for keeping the register of charities. I have therefore asked the Commission's Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member. A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library for the reference of Members.

Renewable Energy

Charles Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much energy consumed by her Department is acquired from renewable sources.

Hilary Armstrong: 69 per cent. of energy consumed by the Cabinet Office is from renewable sources.

Retirement Age

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which Government Departments have mandatory retirement ages.

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which Government Departments have decided not to adopt the National Default Retirement Age for its civil servants.

Patrick McFadden: Responsibility for the setting of retirement ages for staff below the senior civil service is delegated to individual Departments under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992. The Cabinet Office does not maintain a central record of this information.
	Retirement age for members of the senior civil service is not delegated to Departments to decide on and is 65, which is in line with the National Default.

Special Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many of her Department's civil servants work full-time to support departmental special advisers; and what the salary is of each such civil servant.

Hilary Armstrong: One civil servant supports the special advisers in my office, and one civil servant supports the special advisers in the Minister without Portfolio's office. Both provide administrative support of a non-political nature in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. They also provide support to the private offices.
	Individual civil servants' salary details are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individual concerned.

V Charity

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the salaries of the senior management at v are.

Edward Miliband: As an independent charity, senior management salaries are a matter for v's board and are governed by charity and company law.
	Details of senior management salaries will be included in v's annual report and accounts, which will be published in 2007.

V Charity

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil servants in her Department are allocated to work with the v charity on youth volunteering.

Edward Miliband: Two civil servants and one secondee from the voluntary and charitable sector work with v as part of their role in working on volunteering issues.
	v was launched as an independent charity on Monday 8 May 2006, following the recommendation by lan Russell that a dedicated implementation body should commission, through a series of contracts,the delivery of a national framework for youth volunteering.

TREASURY

Bank Services : Post Offices

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which  (a) banks,  (b) building societies and  (c) credit unions are (i) accessible and (ii) not accessible through the Post Office network; what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on encouraging more financial institutions to provide products and services via the Post Office network; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: The most recent FSA guide to basic bank accounts, published in September 2006, lists 17 providers whose basic bank accounts are accessible at the Post Office. Recent evidence published by the Treasury Select Committee lists 10 providers whose current accounts are accessible at the Post Office.
	 Basic bank accounts accessible at the Post Office( 1)
	Abbey: Basic Account
	Alliance and Leicester: Basic Cash Account
	Bank of Ireland: Basic Cash Account (only available in Northern Ireland and Eire)
	Bank of Scotland: Easycash
	Barclays: Cash Card Account
	Clydesdale: Cashmaster
	Co-operative Bank: Cashminder
	First Trust Bank: Basic Bank Account
	Halifax: Easycash
	HSBC: Basic Bank Account
	Lloyds TSB: Cash Account
	Nationwide Building Society: Flex Cash Card
	NatWest: Step Account
	Northern Bank: Northern Personal Access
	The Royal Bank of Scotland: Key Account
	Ulster Bank: Basic Bank Account
	Yorkshire Bank: Readycash
	 Current accounts accessible at the Post Office( 2)
	Alliance and Leicester
	Bank of Ireland
	Barclays (in England and Wales)
	Cahoot
	Clydesdale Bank
	The Co-operative Bank
	Nationwide Building Society
	Lloyds TSB (in England, Wales and Scotland)
	Smile
	First Direct (Scotland only)
	 Sources
	(1)FSA
	(2) Treasury Committee Evidence
	There is no agreement between credit unions and Post Office Limited to provide access to credit union accounts at the Post Office. However, some sub-post offices have individual agreements to provide access to local credit union accounts.
	The Government are committed to promoting financial inclusion. Treasury Ministers have had a number of discussions with other Government Departments on a range of topics related to promoting access to appropriate banking products and other financial services.

Birth Registrations

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average waiting time was for a birth registration appointment in each local authority area in 2005-06.

John Healey: The information requested fall within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated 4 December 2006:
	The Registrar General for England and Wales, has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the average waiting time was for a birth registration appointment in each local authority area in 2005-06. I am replying in her absence. (104457)
	The responsibility for delivery of the civil local registration service in England and Wales is a local government function and the information requested is not available centrally.
	The Registration Service Act 1953 provides for local authorities in England and Wales to make a registration scheme that sets out the service delivery for its area. The local authority provides such registration service delivery points and registration officers they consider appropriate to deal with the volume of birth and death registrations in their area. These provisions should allow the public to meet the statutory time limits for the registration of these events, 5 days to register a death, and 42 days to register a birth.
	The responsibility for civil registration in Scotland rests with Mr Tom McCabe MSP.

Child Trust Fund

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children are eligible for child trust fund contributions; and how many trust funds have received contributions in each parliamentary constituency.

Edward Balls: All children who live in the UK and were born on or after 1 September 2002 are eligible for a Child Trust Fund account so long as they receive child benefit and are not subject to any immigration controls. This is around 680,000 children every year.
	Children in families receiving child tax credit, with a household income not greater than the child tax credit threshold of 14,155 for 2006-07, will receive an additional Government payment of 250 when the Child Trust Fund account is opened, and again at age seven when a further payment of 250 is made to all children. This applies to around a third of all eligible children.
	Information on contributions to Child Trust Fund accounts will be available next year.

Child Trust Fund

Karen Buck: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Child Trust Fund vouchers have been issued to families in  (a) England,  (b) each English region and  (c) each London local authority area; and what percentage of the vouchers issued have been used to open accounts in each case.

Edward Balls: The latest set of Child Trust Fund statistics showing UK-wide information was published byHM Revenue and Customs on 29 September at www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_trust_funds/child-trust-funds.htmthese show that over 75 per cent. of parents are using their child's voucher to open a Child Trust Fund account.
	Child Trust Fund information on take up at constituency level will be available early next year.

Child Trust Funds

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the take up of child trust funds has been in  (a) Wantage constituency and  (b) Oxfordshire since their introduction.

Edward Balls: Child Trust Fund information on take up at constituency level will be available early next year.
	Latest UK-wide information on the number of Child Trust Fund vouchers issued and the number of accounts opened was published on 29 September 2006 on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_trust_funds/child-trust-funds.htm.

Counterfeit Money

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many counterfeit  (a) sterling notes and  (b) euros have been seized (i) in the UK and (ii) elsewhere since January 2002; what (A) denomination and (B) sum value they were; and what their provenance was.

Edward Balls: A total of 1,640,000 counterfeit Bank of England banknotes were removed from circulation globally between 2002-05 with a total value of 28,695,000. Comprehensive data are not available for the provenance of the counterfeit notes. Data are not available for the number of counterfeits of sterling notes issued by those commercial banks permitted to issue notes in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
	Between 2002 and June 2006 a total of 2,182,800 counterfeit euro banknotes with a total value of 117,487,191 euros were removed from circulation globally. These data are not broken down by member state. Comprehensive data are not available for the provenance of the counterfeit notes.
	The following tables give a breakdown by denomination and value for the above totals.
	
		
			  Euro counterfeits 
			   5  10  20  50  100  200  500  Total 
			  Number of notes 
			 2002 1,039 3,108 14,845 136,133 10,307 1,525 161 167,118 
			 2003 3,209 5,335 149,518 314,846 54,575 14,026 950 542,459 
			 2004 6,128 22,305 155,551 271,681 114,183 20,369 4,006 594,223 
			 2005 5,790 34,740 126,960 341,820 40,670 20,370 8,650 579,000 
			 2006(1) 3,000 12,000 132,000 108,000 36,000 6,000 3,000 300,000 
			  
			  Value 
			 2002 5,195 31,080 296,900 6,806,650 1,030,700 305,000 80,500 8,556,025 
			 2003 16,045 53,350 2,990,360 15,742,300 5,457,500 2,805,200 475,000 27,539,755 
			 2004 30,640 223,050 3,111,020 13,584,050 11,418,300 4,073,800 2,003,000 34,443,860 
			 2005 28,950 347,400 2,539,200 17,091,000 4,067,000 4,074,000 4,325,000 32,472,550 
			 2006(1) 15,000 120,000 2,640,000 5,400,000 3,600,000 1,200,000 1,500,000 14,475,000 
			 (1) First six months. 
		
	
	
		
			  Sterling( 1)  counterfeits 
			   5  10  20  50  Total 
			  Number of notes  
			 2002 105,000 142,000 185,000 7,000 439,000 
			 2003 56,000 36,000 268,000 6,000 366,000 
			 2004 20,000 17,000 287,000 6,000 330,000 
			 2005 6,000 7,000 487,000 5,000 505,000 
			   
			  Value  
			 2002 525,000 1,420,000 3,700,000 350,000 5,995,000 
			 2003 280,000 360,000 5,360,000 300,000 6,300,000 
			 2004 100,000 170,000 5,740,000 300,000 6,310,000 
			 2005 30,000 70,000 9,740,000 250,000 10,090,000 
			 (1) These figures only relate to counterfeit Bank of England banknotes.

Data Sharing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions his Department has had with banks on data sharing.

Edward Balls: holding answer 23 November 2006
	Government Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Debt

Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) amount of unsecured personal debt,  (b) average amount of unsecured personal debt and  (c) average household disposable income was in each Government Office region in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated 4 December 2006:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on unsecured personal debt and average household disposable income by Government Office Region each year since 1997.I am replying in her absence. (105805)
	The ONS published estimates of household income by regions and countries of the UK, but only publish levels of debt for the UK as a whole.
	Table A contains estimates of gross disposable household income (GDHI) per head of population by Government Office Regions.
	Table B contains the amount of unsecured personal debt and the average amount of unsecured personal debt for the UK.
	
		
			  Table A: gross disposable household income () per head of population( 1,2,3)  by Government office regions 
			   Gross disposable household income per head of population 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 North East 8,330 8,534 8,861 9,293 9,822 10,127 10,583 10,906 
			 North West 8,865 9,140 9,545 10,044 10,620 10,908 11,377 11,723 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 8,866 9,164 9,520 10,016 10,554 10,851 11,352 11,705 
			 East Midlands 8,900 9,161 9,515 10,032 10,670 11,009 11,554 11,918 
			 West Midlands 8,813 9,078 9,486 10,011 10,600 10,891 11,383 11,729 
			 East of England 10,234 10,554 11,053 11,729 12,549 12,964 13,525 13,889 
			 London 11,592 12,045 12,702 13,437 14,183 14,431 15,004 15,298 
			 South East 10,875 11,303 11,845 12,532 13,348 13,723 14,310 14,656 
			 South West 9,600 9,888 10,321 10,860 11,546 11,870 12,407 12,721 
			 Wales 8,428 8,628 8,980 9,479 10,096 10,437 10,924 11,278 
			 Scotland 9,096 9,325 9,683 10,215 10,840 11,225 11,763 12,116 
			 Northern Ireland 8,287 8,526 8,881 9,376 9,935 10,233 10,667 10,988 
			 United Kingdom 9,625 9,938 10,390 10,971 11,643 11,971 12,500 12,840 
			 (1) Gross disposable household income (GDHI) is the amount of money that households have available for spending or saving after deductions and expenditure associated with income, e.g. taxes and social contributions, and provision for future pension income. (2) The population measure is based upon mid-year estimates of total population. (3) Estimates are consistent with the national accounts series for the combined household and non-profit institutions serving households sectors as published in Blue Book 2005. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: unsecured personal debt and average unsecured personal debt for the UK 
			  Unsecured personal debt(1) (end-year) ( million) Average unsecured personal Debt(2) (end-year) () 
			 1997 88,412 1,943 
			 1998 97,404 2,133 
			 1999 109,208 2,381 
			 2000 124,323 2,696 
			 2001 140,891 3,036 
			 2002 157,748 3,378 
			 2003 163,506 3,479 
			 2004 183,390 3,875 
			 2005 192,507 4,033 
			 (1) Unsecured personal debt is the sum of short term loans issued by monetary financial institutions in the United Kingdom and abroad. The data were published in the United Kingdom Economic Accounts table 64 published on 24 November 2006 available at the following address: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Productasp?vlnk=1904iPos=4ColRank=lRank=422 (2) Average unsecured personal debt is calculated as debt per head. The population figure used to derive this is the population aged 16+ in the United Kingdom. These estimates are expressed in nominal terms that are not adjusted for the effects of general price inflation.

Departmental Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what purposes his Department has employed Opinion Leader Research (OLR); and what the  (a) title and  (b) cost was of each research project undertaken by OLR for his Department in the last three years.

John Healey: Over the last three financial years the Treasury has employed Opinion Leader Research Ltd. to conduct research on public attitudes towards public services and to inform decisions in the run up to the 2005 Budget (19,021 in total); and to run workshops for the Financial Inclusion Taskforce (133,237). The costs stated are excluding VAT.

Departmental Expenditure

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of the opinion poll undertaken by his Department on the potential bid for the 2018 World Cup was; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the poll's findings.

Stephen Timms: The cost of this opinion poll, commissioned jointly with DCMS, was 15,510 (including VAT). This included the cost of an agency running a face to face survey of 2,000 adults, as well as consultation, project management and analysis provided by the Central Office of Information. The poll's findings will be included in the feasibility study to be published in due course.

Departmental Gifts

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what each gift given by his Department in the 2005-06 financial year was; on what date each was given; what the estimated cost was of each gift; what the reason was for giving each gift; and who the recipient was of each.

John Healey: HM Treasury does not keep a central record of gifts given (if any) by the Department; therefore, this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Inquiries

Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions his Department has conducted a leak inquiry since May 1997; what the subjects of those leak inquiries were; and who authorised each inquiry.

John Healey: The Treasury does not comment on leak inquiries.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff were employed on a consultancy basis in  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies in each of the last five years for which information is available; and what the (i) average and (ii) longest period was for which a consultant was employed in each year.

John Healey: The information requested is not available.

Departmental Staff

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of staff employed in his Department were registered disabled in each year since 2001.

John Healey: Data for the years requested are available on the civil service website. The latest available data are as at April 2005 and these, together with previous years' data, can be found at the following website addresses:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/publications/xls/report_2005/table_p.xls for data as at April 2005,
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/publications/xls/disability_apr04_4nov04.xls for data as at April 2004, and
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/archive/index.asp for previous reporting periods.
	Declaration of a disability is voluntary.

Departmental Statistics

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many different sets of statistics are produced by the Government Statistical Service each year; and how many of these are designated as national statistics.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 4 December 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many different sets of statistics are produced by the Government Statistical Service (GSS) each year; and how many of these are designated as National Statistics. (101657)
	The current list of statistics produced by the Government Statistical Service, including those designated as National Statistics, can be found on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/ns ons/nsproducts/default.asp

Departmental Statistics

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which statistics have been withdrawn from the National Statistics Series over the last five years; what the reason was in each case; and what process is followed to determine whether a statistic should be withdrawn from the National Statistics Series.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 4 December 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking which statistics have been withdrawn from the National Statistics Series over the last five years; what the reason was in each case; and what process is followed to determine whether a statistic should be withdrawn from the National Statistics Series.
	The initial scope of National Statistics was set out in an insert which accompanied the publication of the Framework for National Statistics in 2000.
	A list of changes to the scope of National Statistics (additions and withdrawals) in each of the last five years can be found in the relevant National Statistics annual report available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=1051
	The reason for withdrawing a National Statistic usually falls into one of three main categories:
	complete cessationa decision to cease producing an output altogether will typically be driven by priority or resource considerations, although in many instances one output may simply be replaced by an alternative or better output.
	temporary cessationa decision to temporarily withdraw an output from the public domain will typically be driven by quality concerns or known errors.
	change of designationa decision to remove the National Statistics designation from an output even though it remains in the public domain will typically be driven by concerns about fitness for purpose or quality.
	As set out in the Framework for National Statistics (section 4.1.7) 'Departmental Ministers, including the Minister for ONS,'... 'decide the scope of National Statistics and departmental statistical programmes and resources'.

Departmental Studies

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which studies have been commissioned by his Department from  (a) external agencies,  (b) companies,  (c) academics and  (d) individuals in 2006.

John Healey: This information is not held centrally in Treasury and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Driver Training

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax incentives there are for companies and small businesses to offer driver training in vehicles covered by  (a) B,  (b) B1,  (c) C,  (d) C1,  (e) D and  (f) D1 vehicle classifications.

John Healey: The Government offers incentives through the tax system to encourage training. Training expenditure is fully tax deductible for businesses and individuals are not taxed for the in-kind benefit of receiving work related training.
	The Government offers other schemes to specifically support HGV driver training such as the Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving Scheme (SAFED) that has been developed under the Road Haulage Modernisation Fund.

Economic Statistics

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were in work in  (a) Great Britain,  (b) England and Wales,  (c) the north west,  (d) the city of Manchester and  (e) Manchester, Gorton constituency on (i) 2 May 1997 and (ii) the most recent date for which figures are available; and what the percentage change was in each figure over that period.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 4 December 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about employment. (106386)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics for local areas from the annual local area Labour Force Survey and the Annual Population Survey following International Labour Organisation definitions. Table 1, attached, shows numbers of employed persons in Great Britain, England and Wales, the North West, the City of Manchester and Manchester Gorton constituency, for the 12 months ending February 1997 and for the 12 months ending March 2006. Table 1 also shows the percentage increase in numbers employed in these areas between the two periods.
	These estimates, as with any from sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Changes in the estimates over time should be treated with particular caution.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons aged 16 and over, in employment, resident in each area, and percentage change over time 
			  Thousands 
			   12 months ending  
			  Area  February 1997  March 2006  Percentage change 
			 Great Britain 25,355 27,371 8 
			 England and Wales 23,102 24,955 8 
			 North West 2,900 3,080 6 
			 Manchester 138 159 16 
			 Manchester, Gorton 24 25 1 
			  Note:  Estimates are subject to sampling variability. Changes over time should be treated with particular caution.  Source:  Annual local area Labour Force Survey; Annual Population Survey

Economic Statistics

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of inflation is; and what it was on 2 May 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 4 December 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the inflation rate is; and what it was on 2 May 1997. (106392)
	There are two main measures of consumer inflation published by the Office for National Statistics, the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) which forms the basis for the Government's inflation target and the Retail Prices Index (RPI) whose many uses include indexation of state benefits and pensions.
	The annual rate of inflation for the CPI at October 2006, which is the date of the latest published figure, is 2.4 per cent. and in May 1997 the annual rate of the CPI stood at 1.6 per cent.
	The annual rate of inflation for the RPI at October 2006 stood at 3.7 per cent. again the latest published figure. In May 1997 the annual rate of inflation for the RPI was 2.6 per cent.

Fuel Duties

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the reduction in revenue has been since the introduction of the 20 pence preferential Fuel Duty rate on biofuels; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The total quantity of biofuels for which duty has been paid can be found on page two of the HM Revenue and Customs Hydrocarbon Oils Bulletin, a copy of which can be found on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bullhydro.
	The 20 pence per litre duty differential applies to the total quantity of biofuels since their introduction.

Fuel Duties

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department holds or administers a ring-fenced fund through which increases in fuel duties are spent on the modernisation of roads and public transport.

John Healey: The Chancellor's 1999 pre-Budget report (PBR) announced that decisions on the appropriate level of fuel duties, would be set on a Budget-by-Budget basis, taking account of the Government's economic and social objectives as well as the UK's environmental concerns.
	It was also announced that revenues from any real terms increases in fuel duties would, in future, go straight into a ring-fenced fund for improving public transport and modernising the road network. Since then no such increases have been introduced, and fuel duty rates are now 16 per cent. lower in real terms than in 2000.

Import Duties

Charles Walker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultation HM Revenue and Customs undertakes with UK manufacturers in advance of it changing a tariff heading on components imported from outside the EU for incorporation in UK manufactured products.

Dawn Primarolo: Tariff headings may be changed for different reasons: for example, following annual tariff nomenclature changes, publication of an EU regulation aimed at ensuring uniform classification within the EU or as the result of reconsideration of the classification of a particular product. HM Revenue and Customs consult with UK businesses where the impact of the change has been identified as significant and time permits, or business expertise is sought to help determine the correct classification of a product. Consultation is generally through trade associations to obtain the views of a wide spectrum of the trade. An example of this is the consultation undertaken during the major review of the electronic tariff chapters for implementation in January 2007.

Import Duties

Charles Walker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment is made by HM Revenue and Customs of the impact of the variation of an import tariff heading on the UK manufacturing base before such a variation is made; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Goods in international trade are classified under the EC Combined Nomenclature which provides the legal basis for the Community's Tariff. Tariff headings may be varied for different reasons, for example following annual nomenclature changes or publication of an EU regulation aimed at ensuring uniform classification within the EU. HM Revenue and Customs are legally obliged to implement such changes. They assess the impact of significant changes by analysing import declaration data and consulting the trade. Consultation is generally through trade associations to obtain the views of a wide spectrum of the trade. An example of this is the consultation undertaken during the major review of the electronic tariff chapters for implementation in January 2007.

Import Duties

Charles Walker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether electronic components not manufactured in the EU are free of tariffs when imported into the UK for incorporation into a UK manufactured product.

Dawn Primarolo: Imported electronic components that are parts of information technology products such as computers are free of import duty under international agreement. Other imported electronic components are generally subject to positive tariffs. EC agreements provide for relief from payment of import duties, subject to conditions, where goods are imported for processing such as incorporation into a UK manufactured product for re-export.

Import Duties

Charles Walker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that changes in import duty rates are not applied retrospectively when a tariff heading is changed by HM Revenue and Customs; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: When HM Revenue and Customs become aware that import duty paid is less than the amount of duty legally due they must apply the correct rate retrospectively in line with the legal provisions of the Community Customs Code. There are circumstances where the obligation to pay the additional duty may be suspended, for example where a successful application for remission of duty is made. Alternatively, importers may protect themselves from retrospective claims for duty by applying to HM Revenue and Customs for an advance ruling known as Binding Tariff Information (BTI). A BTI covers a specific product and is normally valid for six years. If HM Revenue and Customs change the tariff heading and the BTI is revoked the holder will be protected from a retrospective claim and may still rely on the BTI for up to six months where binding contracts for the purchase or sale of the goods have been concluded.

Import Duties

Charles Walker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the Binding Tariff Information relating to the importation of board cameras was invalidated in February 2006.

Dawn Primarolo: The Binding Tariff Information, which classified a board camera as a part of a camera was invalidated as a result of an HMRC tariff classification review. Product information confirmed that the product was capable of capturing an image. Consequently, the item was reclassified as a camera.

Ministerial Travel

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total mileage was for journeys in his official car in the last 12 months.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer the Minister of State, Department for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for South Thanet (Dr. Ladyman) gave to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael) on 12 October 2006,  Official Report, columns 718-19W, in respect of ministerial cars provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.

Mortality Rates (Tamworth)

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the mortality rate was of  (a) men and  (b) women in Tamworth in each year since 1991.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 4 December 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the mortality rate was of (a) men and(b) women in Tamworth in each year since 1991. (107022)
	Mortality rates for parliamentary constituencies which do not share boundaries exactly with a local authority can be calculated only from 2001 onwards. The table below provides the age-standardised mortality rate for (a) men and (b) women in Tamworth parliamentary constituency for the years 2001 to 2004 (the latest available).
	The ward population estimates on which these mortality rates are based are experimental statisticsthat is, statistics which are in a testing or consultation phase and are not fully developedand the figures should therefore be treated with caution.
	
		
			  Table 1: Age-standardised mortality rates( 1) , Tamworth parliamentary constituency, 2001-04( 2,3) 
			  Deaths per 100,000 
			   Males  Females 
			 2001 952 633 
			 2002 902 622 
			 2003 818 612 
			 2004 734 594 
			 (1) Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) Using local authority ward boundaries as of 2005 for deaths for all years shown. (3) The ward population estimates used to calculate these mortality rates are experimental statistics, and are consistent with the published local authority mid-year estimates for the relevant year.

Mortality Rates (Tamworth)

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) diagnosis and  (b) mortality rate was for (i) chronic lung disease, (ii) coronary heart disease and (iii) cancer in each ward in Tamworth constituency in each of the last 15 years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 4 December 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the (a) diagnosis and (b) mortality rate was for (i) chronic lung disease, (ii) coronary heart disease and (iii) cancer in each ward in Tamworth constituency in each of the last 15 years. (107032)
	Figures on the incidence of chronic lung disease and coronary heart disease are not readily available. The numbers of deaths and cancer registrations per year in each ward in Tamworth parliamentary constituency are too small for the reliable calculation of rates. Mortality and incidence rates for parliamentary constituencies which do not share boundaries exactly with a local authority can be calculated only from 2001 onwards.
	The tables below provide (a) the age-standardised cancer incidence rate, and (b) the age-standardised mortality rates for (i) chronic lung disease, (ii) coronary heart disease and (iii) cancer in Tamworth parliamentary constituency for the years 2001 to 2004 (the latest available).
	The ward population estimates on which these rates are based are experimental statisticsthat is, statistics which are in a testing or consultation phase and are not fully developedand the figures should therefore be treated with caution.
	
		
			  Table 1: Age-standardised cancer incidence rates( 1,2) , Tamworth parliamentary constituency, 2001-04( 3,4) 
			  Cases per 100,000 
			 2001 420 
			 2002 376 
			 2003 342 
			 2004 398 
			 (1) Age-standardised cancer registration rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (1CD-10) codes C00-C97 excluding code C44: non-melanoma skin cancer. (3) Using local authority ward boundaries as of 2005 for cancer registrations for all years shown. (4) The ward population estimates used to calculate the ward incidence rates are experimental statistics, and are consistent with the published local authority mid-year estimates for the relevant year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Age-standardised mortality rates for chronic lung disease, coronary heart disease and cancer( 1,2) , Tamworth parliamentary constituency, 2001-04( 3,4) 
			  Deaths per 100,000 
			   Chronic lung disease  Coronary heart disease  Cancer 
			 2001 37 173 214 
			 2002 34 155 181 
			 2003 27 135 177 
			 2004 35 120 193 
			 (1) Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes J40-J47 for chronic lung disease, 120-125 for coronary heart disease, and C00-C97 for cancer.  (3 )Using local authority ward boundaries as of 2005 for deaths for all years shown (4 )The ward population estimates used to calculate the ward mortality rates are experimental statistics, and are consistent with the published local authority mid-year estimates for the relevant year.

Mortality Rates (Tamworth)

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the main causes of death were for  (a) men and  (b) women living in Tamworth constituency in each of the last 10 years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 4 December 2006:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the main causes of death were for (a) men and (b) women living in Tamworth constituency in each of the last 10 years. I am replying in her absence. (107033)
	The tables below list the main causes of death for (a) males and (b) females in the years 1996 to 2005 (the latest year available) in Tamworth parliamentary constituency.
	
		
			  Table 1: Main causes of death( 1 ) classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9), males, Tamworth parliamentary constituency( 2) , 1996 to 2000( 3) 
			   Years when this was a main cause of death for males  
			  Cause of death( 4)  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  ICD-9 code 
			 Acute but ill-defined cerebrovascular disease (stroke) * * * * * 436 
			 Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) * * * * * 410 
			 Aortic aneurysm (rupture of aortic artery)   *   441 
			 Bronchopneumonia, organism unspecified * * * * * 485 
			 Chronic airways obstruction, not elsewhere classified * * * * * 496 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of colon  *153 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of prostate   *  * 185 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of stomach  *151 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of trachea, bronchus and lung * * * * * 162 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) without specification of site * * * * * 199 
			 Other and ill-defined cerebrovascular disease * 437 
			 Other forms of chronic ischaemic heart disease * * * * * 414 
			 (1 )Causes of death which were recorded as the underlying cause in at least 10 male deaths registered in the year in question. These causes accounted for 51 per cent. of all male deaths in Tamworth constituency in 1996 to 2005. (2) Based on the boundaries of Tamworth parliamentary constituency as of 2005 for all years. (3) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1996 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for the years 2001 to 2005. (4) The words in brackets have been added for clarity and are not part of the International Classification of Diseases. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Main causes of death( 1 ) classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), males, Tamworth parliamentary constituency( 2) , 2001 to 2005( 3) 
			   Years when this was a main cause of death for males  
			  Cause of death( 4)  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  ICD-10 code 
			 Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) * * * * * I21 
			 Aortic aneurysm and dissection (rupture of aortic artery) *  *   I71 
			 Chronic ischaemic heart disease * * * * * I25 
			 Heart failure *  *  * I50 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of bronchus and lung * * * * * C34 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of colon   *   C18 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of prostate *  * * * C61 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of stomach*  C16 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) without specification of site * C80 
			 Other chronic obstructive pulmonary (lung) disease * * * * * J44 
			 Pneumonia, organism unspecified * * * * * J18 
			 Stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarction * * * * * I64 
			 (1 )Causes of death which were recorded as the underlying cause in at least 10 male deaths registered in the year in question. These causes accounted for 51 per cent. of all male deaths in Tamworth constituency in 1996 to 2005. (2) Based on the boundaries of Tamworth parliamentary constituency as of 2005 for all years. (3) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1996 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for the years 2001 to 2005. (4) The words in brackets have been added for clarity and are not part of the International Classification of Diseases. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Main causes of death( 1 ) classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9), females, Tamworth parliamentary constituency( 2) , 1996 to 2000( 3) 
			   Years when this was a main cause of death for females  
			  Cause of death( 4)  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  ICD-9 code 
			 Acute but ill-defined cerebrovascular disease (stroke) * * * * * 436 
			 Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) * * * * * 410 
			 Bronchopneumonia, organism unspecified * * * * * 485 
			 Chronic airways obstruction, not elsewhere classified  *  * * 496 
			 Diabetes mellitus  *   * 250 
			 Heart failure * *  *  428 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of female breast * * * * * 174 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of trachea, bronchus and lung * * * * * 162 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) without specification of site * *  * * 199 
			 Other and ill-defined cerebrovascular disease  * * *  437 
			 Other cerebral (brain) degenerations * 331 
			 Other forms of chronic ischaemic heart disease * * * * * 414 
			 Pneumonia, organism unspecified  486 
			 Senility without mention of psychosis   *  * 797 
			 (1 )Causes of death which were recorded as the underlying cause in at least 10 female deaths registered in the year in question. These causes accounted for 54 per cent. of all female deaths in Tamworth constituency in 1996 to 2005. (2) Based on the boundaries of Tamworth parliamentary constituency as of 2005 for all years. (3) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1996 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for the years 2001 to 2005. (4) The words in brackets have been added for clarity and are not part of the International Classification of Diseases. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Main causes of death( 1 ) classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), females, Tamworth parliamentary constituency( 2)  2001 to 2005( 3) 
			   Years when this was a main cause of death for females  
			  Cause of death( 4)  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  ICD-10 code 
			 Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) * * * * * I21 
			 Chronic ischaemic heart disease * * * * * I25 
			 Heart failure * * * *  I50 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of breast * *  * * C50 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of bronchus and lung * * * * * C34 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) of colon * C18 
			 Malignant neoplasm (cancer) without specification of site * *  *  C80 
			 Other cerebrovascular diseases *  *  * I67 
			 Other chronic obstructive pulmonary (lung) disease * * * * * J44 
			 Pneumonia, organism unspecified * * * * * J18 
			 Senility  * * * * R54 
			 Sequelae of cerebrovascular disease (effects of stroke)   *   I69 
			 Stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarction * * * * * I64 
			 Unspecified dementia * * * * * F03 
			 (1 )Causes of death which were recorded as the underlying cause in at least 10 female deaths registered in the year in question. These causes accounted for 54 per cent. of all female deaths in Tamworth constituency in 1996 to 2005. (2) Based on the boundaries of Tamworth parliamentary constituency as of 2005 for all years. (3) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1996 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for the years 2001 to 2005. (4) The words in brackets have been added for clarity and are not part of the International Classification of Diseases.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) charitable and  (b) independent bodies have been reclassified by the Office for National Statistics as non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 4 December 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the reclassification of charitable and independent bodies as non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) in each year since 1997. 107040
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) classifies institutional units for national accounts purposes. These are listed in the Sector Classification Guide published on the National Statistics website. The information used to answer your question has been obtained from updates to the Sector Classification Guide.
	You should note that although ONS will seek to identify where an entity is an NDPB within the Sector Classification Guide, designation as an NDPB is the responsibility of Cabinet Office. Further, although in theory it is possible to identify registered charities, they are not separately identified for national accounts purposes and so are not identified as charities in the list. Similarly the term 'independent' is not defined. However, in order to provide you with some information the term independent has been interpreted to include those bodies either not previously controlled by central government or not previously identified as being controlled by central government.
	I am placing in the House of Commons Library, a list of bodies. Those listed include all those bodies first separately identified and classified to the central government sector for national accounts purposes. Those entities which have been reclassified to the central government sector from another national accounts sector are easily identified as they have an entry in the final column.
	The current national accounting framework is described in the European System of Accounts 1995 and was introduced in the UK in September 1998. As a result no information is available on the reclassification of institutional units to the central government sector before this date.
	Please consult the Sector Classification Guide (weblink below) to confirm the current national accounts classification of the bodies on the attached list or to obtain a full list of those bodies classified as central government.
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=7163
	ONS has responsibility for the production of the UK National Accounts in line with the European System of Accounts 1995 (ESA95). The National Accounts provides a framework for describing what is happening in national economies. Within these accounts all institutional units operating within an economy are classified to an institutional sector. The domestic institutional sectors are as follows:
	Non-Financial Corporations
	Financial Corporations
	General Government
	Households
	Non-Profit Institutions serving Households
	UK registered charities, or registered charities trading subsidiaries, can be classified within a number of sectors: non-financial corporations, financial corporations, general government or non-profit institutions serving households.
	The central government sector is a sub-sector of general government and will include institutional units which Cabinet Office designate as NDPBs.

Parliamentary Questions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has its own guidance on the appropriate time limit for answering written parliamentary questions.

John Healey: Treasury Ministers endeavour to answer named day questions on the day nominated by the questioner and ordinary written questions within a working week of tabling, as provided for in Erskine May. In the 2005-06 parliamentary session, which ended on 8 November 2006, 74.9 per cent. of named day questions were answered on time, as were 80.1 per cent. of ordinary written questions.

Private Finance Initiatives

Philip Dunne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which risk is transferred to the private sector in private finance initiative transactions where the Government continues to hold a significant shareholding in a company to whom the risk is being transferred; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Chapter 7 (paragraph 7.46) of the policy document PFI: Strengthening Long Term Partnerships sets out the Government's position in relation to public sector equity in risk capital.
	The full document is available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget/budget_06/other_documents/bud_bud06_odpfi.cfm.

Private Finance Initiatives

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reviews the Government have  (a) undertaken and  (b) commissioned on the cost-effectiveness of (i) private finance initiative projects, (ii) public-private partnerships and (iii) consultancy policy.

John Healey: The Government have undertaken and commissioned two major reviews of the cost effectiveness of private finance initiative projects. These are:
	1. PFI: Meeting the Investment Challenge (July, 2003) available at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/enterprise_and_productivity/PFI.cfm
	2. PFI: Strengthening Long Term Partnerships (March, 2006), available at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget/budget_06/other_documents/bud_bud06_odpfi.cfm .
	The National Audit Office has also conducted a number of investigations into the private finance initiative, available at:
	http://www.nao.org.uk/.
	The Government will, from time to time, undertake reviews of their various public-private partnership agreements. These are a matter for individual Departments, and their nature depends on the specific agreement in place.
	The Office of Government Commerce has issued advice to Departments on the tendering process for consultancy support. This is available on their website:
	www.ogc.gov.uk.

Public Appointments

Charles Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which public appointments have been made by his Department to former Ministers who have served in the Government since May 1997.

John Healey: Since 1997 no former Treasury Ministers have been the subject of public appointments made by the Treasury. Information is not held centrally on former Ministers of other departments. Information relating to all ministerial appointments is set out in the annual publication Public Bodies, copies of which are available in the Library.

Public/Private Forum on Identity Management

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the  (a) private sector and  (b) public sector organisations which the Public/Private Forum on Identity Management has consulted since its creation.

Stephen Timms: Members of the forum or staff supporting them have already consulted over 100 organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors. This includes companies and representative bodies across sectors such as banking, telecoms, travel and retail. Consultations with these and other contacts will continue as the forum's work progresses. A full list of organisations and individuals consulted in the preparation of the forum's report will be included in the report. Any organisation or individual who wishes to make contact with the forum may do so through:
	identity.forum@hm-treasury.x.gsi.gov.uk

Renewables

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of HM Treasury's energy supply is generated from renewable sources.

John Healey: 100 per cent. of the Treasury's electricity supply is generated from renewable sources.

Special Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what each gift received by  (a) special advisers in his Department and  (b) the Council of Economic Advisers declared to his Department in the 2005-06 financial year was; on what date each was given; what the estimated cost was of each; what the reason was for giving each gift; and what the name of the recipient was.

John Healey: Gifts recorded as being received by special advisers and the Council of Economic Advisers in 2005-06 were:
	tickets to a U2 concert, June 2005;
	tickets to Live8, July 2005; and
	DVDs, December 2005
	In the case of the tickets, donations were made to charity equal to or exceeding the value of the tickets. The DVDs were donated to Oxfam.

Tax Credits

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria were used to determine the locations of the new Research and Development tax credit offices.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 22 November 2006,  Official Report, column 101W.

Terrorism

Michael Gove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assets have been frozen in relation to those suspected or convicted of terrorist activity in each year since 1997.

Edward Balls: Nearly 200 accounts and around 500,000 of suspected terrorist funds have been frozen in the UK since 2001 when the UN's terrorist asset freezing regime was established. The Treasury does not publish a breakdown of frozen funds for each year, as that could potentially reveal information about individuals' assets. Freezing action also prevents the flow of funds to listed individuals and entities. Asset freezing is part of the Government's overall strategy to create a hostile environment for terrorism and safeguard financial systems. A value cannot easily be put on those wider effects.

The Olympics

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department spend the majority of their time on work related to the 2012 Olympics; and what the pay band is of each of these staff members.

Stephen Timms: A number of Treasury staff at different levels contribute to work on the 2012 Olympics, as required.

The Olympics

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reports have been prepared for his Department by consultancy firms on the cost of the 2012 Olympics; which firm produced each report; when each report was produced; and what the cost to the Department was of each report.

John Healey: The Treasury has not commissioned any reports from consultancy firms on the cost of the 2012 Olympics.